The Turning of the Tides
by BreathOfWindFireAndSong1996
Summary: Trying to adjust to life after the events of City of Glass seems like it might be easy, but, as Clary, Jace and the rest find out, it's anything but. A demon nest is rooted in Clary's old high school, a seemingly mundane girl has a plan to steal Jace from Clary, and a familiar (but not welcome) face returns. Why are all these things happening? AU. Clace. Sizzy. Malec. Slightly OOC
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Why hello there. This fanfic takes place after City of Glass. We're going to pretend that CoFA and CoLS don't exist okay? Okay coolio. :P The characters may be a little OOC sometimes. If they are, please please PLEASE tell me when and where. I really want to stay true to their characters. Okay enjoy!**

Clary Fray scowled at her reflection in the mirror. She hated mornings. Especially school mornings. Especially first-day-of-school mornings. She rubbed her eyes, sighing and washing her face, combing her hair, brushing her teeth. The bathroom door burst open and Clary whirled, flinging her toothbrush across the room as the tall, elegant figure of Isabelle Lightwood strode in. "By the Angel, Clary, how long does it take you to get ready? I'm already wide awake," she announced.

Clary noticed the sleep circles under Izzy's eyes and smirked. Her friend was not as alert as she claimed to be. Clary shrugged. "Not_ that_ long. But it is the first day of school, and I want to look somewhat attractive." She started to move around Izzy, who pulled her back into the bathroom.

"Oh, no you don't. You don't have an ounce of makeup on."

"I don't feel like putting makeup on. I'm too lazy," she whined.

Izzy raised her eyebrows in mock astonishment. "A lazy Shadowhunter? Never heard of one," she said, whipping out an eyeliner pencil. She chased Clary out into Clary's bedroom, finally tackling her to the bed. Isabelle pinned her friend's arms under her knees and traced the eyeliner over Clary's eyelids. When she was done, Clary lifted her hips, effectively unseating Izzy. "Thanks, Iz," she sneered, playfully. "Now I have to go put on mascara."

Isabelle smirked as she watched Clary disappear into the bathroom again. "Exactly."

Clary came back out, having applied mascara, and rummaged in her closet for something to wear. Isabelle was already dressed, looking gorgeous as usual in a short denim skirt, blue halter top and three inch black heels. Clary sighed with contempt. She couldn't just pluck some clothes off a rack and pull it off easily. She had to actually work at finding a decent outfit. She turned back to Izzy, raising her eyebrows. "You're out of dress code," she said.

Isabelle cocked her head to the side. "Dress what?"

"Dress code," Clary repeated, tugging down some knee-length jean shorts and a sheer green babydoll top.

"What's a dress code?"

"You didn't bother reading the Student Handbook, did you?"

"No. Why would I? Jace read it, and he told me everything I need to know."

Clary laughed. "Obviously not." She sighed. "A dress code is a bunch of rules that the school puts into place saying what's appropriate and what's inappropriate to wear. For example, your skirt is too short and you can't wear a halter top. If you walked into school like that, some teacher or other would descend on you like a harpy and give you detention."

"What's detention?"

"It's where all the kids who misbehave spend their entire lunch. In a classroom. With the teacher watching them. Dead silent for the whole hour."

Izzy made a face and strode over to Clary's closet. "Got anything a couple sizes too big?"

Clary laughed and finished changing. "Hold on. My mom looks about your size."

As soon as she closed the door behind her, she was accosted by a familiar-looking boy. She started to scream when a hand clamped over her mouth. "Shhhhh. Your mom will think I'm raping you or something."

Clary looked up into the golden eyes of her boyfriend, Jace Wayland, and relaxed. He removed his hand from her mouth and kissed her on the lips, enveloping her with his strong arms. She pulled away first. "Did my mom let you in?" she asked incredulously.

"No, actually, Luke did. Are you almost ready?"

She saw the black Jansport backpack slung casually over his shoulder. He didn't look too comfortable wearing it. She bit back a giggle and shook her head. "Well, I'm ready, but Izzy's not. She's out of dress code and I have to get her some clothes from my mom's room."

He shook his head in amusement. "Izzy, Izzy, Izzy. That's what she gets for not reading the handbook."

Clary disappeared into her mother's bedroom, smiling and pulling out a pair of close-fitting jeans and a loose black tanktop for Izzy to wear. She found Jace sitting on her bed next to Isabelle when she got back to her room. They were arguing about something.

"Why would I want to read that stu—umph!" Her argument was cut off as Clary chucked the clothes at her friend's face.

Jace stood up and walked over to Clary, grinning. He slung an arm over her shoulder and, still looking at Izzy, said, "See, this is why you're my girlfriend."

"So I can shut your sister up?"

"Yup."

Clary pretended to be hurt. "But I thought you said you loved me!"

Jace turned her so she was facing him. Her knees suddenly felt weak. She'd thought that over time, she'd get used to being so close to Jace and her body would act normally. On the contrary, the longer she went out with him, the worse the butterflies and trembling got. She supposed it was a good thing. He brought his face down to hers. He was so close that all she had to do to kiss him was tilt her chin up. She did just that, brushing his lips with her own.

"Gross. You two are the epitome of 'get a room.'"

Clary turned away from Jace and narrowed her eyes at Izzy. "That barely even counted as a kiss."

The dark-haired girl shrugged, smirking. "Still counts. And besides, we're going to be late." She tapped her watch.

Jace groaned, pulling away from Clary and intertwining their fingers. "Why does Mundie school start so early, again?"

Clary laughed, squeezing his hand. "We ask ourselves the same thing."

"But you're not a mundane."

She looked up at him, smiling. "I was raised in their world. For once in my life, I know way more about something than you, Jace Wayland."

He scowled at her and she laughed again, pulling him out into the hallway. "C'mon, Jace. We'll be late for class."

They joined Isabelle and Alec on the sidewalk outside. They began walking towards Clary's high school. Clary watched the odd group, laughing internally. They looked so funny and out of place, with the normal clothes and school backpacks bumping against their spines. She noticed Jace wincing every time his backpack hit his shoulder and she looked at him worriedly. "Do you have a pencil or something jabbing you in the back? I know how that feels," she said.

He shook his head. "It's my dagger."

Clary stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. The other three turned to look at her, puzzled. Jace walked back to where she was, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Is everything okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just…did you guys bring any weapons?"

They all nodded.

She groaned. "Shoot. You guys can't have them in school. They'll kick you out or confiscate them."

Isabelle huffed, annoyed. "How do they expect us to protect ourselves?"

Clary shrugged. "That's the thing. They don't. If something or someone starts bothering you, they expect you to 'tell a teacher, parent, or trusted adult immediately,'" she replied, mimicking her first grade teacher's voice.

Jace grinned. "They really tell you guys to do that? If someone punches you, for example—"

"You tell a teacher. If you punch them back you can get suspended from school," Clary interrupted.

"Well then. I put glamours on my weapons. So…unless they're a Shadowhunter, demon, or Downworlder…I'm good," he replied, smirking. "As always," he added.

"So did we," Alec said.

Isabelle turned to her brother. "We did?"

"Well, I did. I put runes on my weapons _and_ your weapons. So you're welcome."

Isabelle growled. "Thanks."

Jace released Clary's shoulder and began walking the last block to St. Xavier's, where Simon was waiting under a tree on the lawn. He perked up when he saw them coming. When the little group of Shadowhunters reached Simon, Clary broke away to give her best friend a side hug. "It's going to be really weird, going to school as if nothing happened. Isn't it?" she asked him quietly.

He nodded in agreement. "They really look like they don't belong here," he chuckled, jerking his thumb toward Isabelle, Alec and Jace, who were all observing the school grounds.

Clary laughed a little. "They'll get used to it. It was their idea to come, after all."

Simon adjusted his backpack. "So do they have any idea how long the demons have been here?"

Clary shook her head. "At least all summer. Probably before."

Simon smirked. "To think, we were going to school in a demon's nest the whole time. We didn't even know anything back then," he said wistfully.

"I'm glad we do. I have Jace now, and you have Isabelle." Seeing his expression, she added, "You're dating the hottest girl in school now, you know." He blushed even harder.

Simon adjusted his glasses. "Speaking of being hot…the school tramps have found your boyfriend. The rest of the school will follow suit if you don't put an end to this," he said, wiggling his finger at her and joining the Shadowhunters.

_ Dammit, _Clary thought, watching as Vivien Durnell and company flirted with Jace.

_I forgot about how hot he is…_

**Hello again ;) REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW MY DARLINGS. The more YOU review, the faster I update So do that. If you have ANY questions please ask me. No question is too stupid to ask. And if you guys have ideas for what should happen later in the book, I would LOVE to hear them. So tell me ;) Peace in the Middle East! Buh-bye! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: HUGE thanks to all of you who reviewed! Wow! I got some really good ideas. And I love them all. *le virtual hug for all of you* No big fights in this chapter… Sorry. But we do start to see Clary getting jealous. I'll shut up now. R&R!**

Clary walked back over to Jace just in time to hear Vivien say, "So, are you new here?"

Jace nodded. "Yeah."

"Where did you go to school before?"

"We," he gestured to himself, Alec and Isabelle, "were all homeschooled until this year."

Vivien pouted. "Aw, that sucks. I feel really bad for you guys. But don't worry. I'll let you guys sit with us at lunch for the whole first month. We don't usually let people hang out with us, but…I think we'll make an exception for you." She winked and poked Jace lightly in the arm before flouncing off, and walking into the school.

By now, Clary was fuming inside. Jace seemed to notice this and he took her hand, intertwining their fingers and squeezing reassuringly. "Don't worry, Clary. I'm not even thinking of sitting next to her…or talking to her again, for that matter."

"Good luck with that," Clary muttered.

"You're right. What am I thinking? Girls like her are drawn to me like flies drawn to light." He smirked. "In fact, I'm pretty sure every girl is drawn to me. I am gorgeous, you know."

Clary narrowed her eyes at him. "Thanks for reminding me."

Simon, Isabelle and Alec joined them then and Simon quirked an eyebrow at Clary. "What was Vivien Durnell doing over here?"

"She told me she thought I was perfect in every way and that I looked like an angel on a mission to earth to save every last desperate soul that remains, bloodsucker," Jace replied, his smirk widening.

Clary rolled her eyes. "No she didn't. She—"

"Okay, maybe she didn't say that exactly. But she implied it. And you know she was thinking it."

"Shut up, Jace," Isabelle said exasperatedly.

Clary continued, ignoring her boyfriend's expression of mock hurt. "She invited you guys to sit at their table at lunch today…and for the rest of the month."

Simon's eyes widened. "_The_ table?"

Clary nodded. "But Jace is _declining_ the offer. Aren't you, Jace?"

Jace looked at her like she was crazy. "I wouldn't sit with her even if you weren't my girlfriend, Clary. She's too…" He flexed his right fingers. "Controlling."

Simon laughed. "It's like something out of Mean Girls."

Clary nodded.

"Out of what?" Alec asked, clearly confused.

Clary smiled. "It's a movie. And it's really really funny."

Just then the bell rang, causing Alec, Isabelle and Jace to jump a little. Clary laughed. This was going to be fun. "What was that?" Isabelle asked.

Simon sighed. "That was the first bell. It means we have to start heading to class. If the bell rings again and we're not in class, we'll get a late slip, or a tardy. If we get more than two tardies, we have to go to detention. Let me see your schedule." He held his hand out to her.

She handed him the white slip of paper and he looked at the top. "You have the same first period as I do," he said. "C'mon, let's go."

They walked into the school, holding hands, Alec trailing behind them. Clary turned to see Jace smirking at them. "Why are you looking at them like that?" she asked.

He started walking, swinging their hands back and forth. "When they walk together, it looks like Simon is protecting Izzy. But if you know them really well, you know that if either of them is protecting anyone, it's Isabelle who's protecting Simon."

"Simon can take care of himself."

"Now."

Clary grit her teeth. She didn't like being reminded of the Mark of Cain that graced Simon's forehead. She hadn't known exactly what it would do when she drew it on him, and none of them had seen it in action yet. _Oh, no,_ she thought. _What if he gets in a fight in school?_

As if sensing her thoughts, Jace hugged her quickly, just outside the school doors. "Don't worry," he murmured into her hair. "I'll still be watching out for him…for everyone else's sake." He grinned at her and pushed open the doors of the school.

Clary immediately let go of the last shreds of hope she had of Jace being unobserved. It was like she didn't even exist. It made her want to jump up and down and scream "Hello? Look at me. He's holding _my_ hand!" Every girl they walked by was practically drooling over him. He twisted his mouth into a smirk, clearly enjoying the attention. He even winked at a couple of them as they passed by.

"_Jace_," she hissed.

He turned to her. "What? I'm just teasing them."

She ignored him, staring stonily at the blue carpeted floors. If he wanted to flirt with every girl in the school, she wasn't going to watch. She would just glare at the carpet, daring it to flirt with Jace. Carpets couldn't bat their eyelashes, or giggle, or lean over so their boobs hung out of their shirts.

They reached their first class and Clary stopped Jace before he could enter, pulling him aside. "Jace. Whatever you do, please, please, _please_ be respectful. Don't mouth off to the teacher, don't talk while he's talking, nothing. This isn't Hodge."

Jace flinched almost imperceptibly at the mention of his old tutor's name. But it was quick, and before anyone but Clary could notice it, the smirk was back on his face and he was leaning down to kiss Clary's forehead. "Don't worry. I'll be a perfect little angel."

"Says the demon," Clary muttered.

Jace laughed and opened the door for her. They walked in and Clary noticed everyone standing in the back of the room. Just then, the bell rang. _A seating chart_, Clary thought. _I hate seating charts._ She grabbed Jace's hand and pulled him to the back of the room just as he was about to sit down in a chair. She tried to ignore the covert glances they were receiving, and the whispers about the boy with the halo of golden hair that drifted to her ears. Clary eventually began to glare at anyone she caught looking at them or talking. In fact, she just began glaring at everyone in her class. Jace pulled her closer to him. "Relax, Clary. It's not like you've never seen girls stare at me before," he said bluntly.

She laid her head on his shoulder, watching the teacher finish an email. "I know…but not this many and not all at once."

Jace chuckled and kissed Clary's cheek. The teacher finally got up and turned to the whiteboard. "Good morning, class," he drawled. "I'm Mr. Riordan, your English teacher. Annnd…" he took a magnet and posted a white sheet of paper on the board. "This is your seating chart. For the whole year. No ifs, ands, or buts. Now move."

Jace looked at Clary, puzzled. "Seating chart?"

She sighed, tugging on his hand. "Come on, I'll show you."

They weaved their way through the crowd, stopping in front of the piece of paper that had a diagram of all the desks on it. On each desk there was a single written name. Clary gulped. She and Jace were on opposite sides of the classroom. He seemed to realize the same thing she did. He furrowed his brow. "Can't I just switch with…Leo Valdez?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "No ifs ands or buts."

Jace hung his head and walked to his seat. Clary couldn't help but laugh a little when she saw this. He looked like a puppy who had just been swatted with a newspaper for peeing on the floor. She walked reluctantly to her own seat and sat next to Leo, who was grinning at her. Clary gave him a half smile and looked over at Jace, who was smiling easily at the girl to the right of him. The girl on the left of him was leaning sideways, almost close enough to press her shoulder into his arm. There was a boy behind Jace who looked like he wanted to kill the guy in front of him. Clary bit her lip and opened her notebook, making little sketches of the girls near Jace. She drew them as ugly as she could, adding bombs around their feet, knives in their necks—

Mr. Riordan's voice cut through her thoughts like a knife. "Mr. Wayland. I suggest that you save the flirting for after school, unless you want detention."

Clary's head shot up and she looked sharply at Jace, who was tipping his chair back nonchalantly. "I wasn't flirting with them," he said simply.

The girls on either side of him were blushing furiously. Clary felt herself turning red also, but not for the same reason, of course. Mr. Riordan raised an eyebrow. _God, I swear. Everyone on this freaking planet can raise one eyebrow, _she thought angrily.

"You weren't?" Mr. Riordan leaned against the whiteboard, taking his glasses off and crossing his arms. "Please, tell the class then what you were doing."

Jace seemed unfazed. "I wasn't doing anything. They were flirting with me," he said matter-of-factly.

"Flirting involves two people, Mr. Wayland. So unless you're suggesting that Miss Crewe and Miss Chase were actually flirting with each other…"

Jace shrugged. "Maybe they were. I certainly wasn't."

Clary almost slammed her head onto her desk in exasperation. He needed to stop. He needed to stop talking back. She realized that he didn't even know he was doing anything wrong. Shadowhunters were taught justice, to defend for themselves, and to tell the truth. And Jace, more than anyone, told the truth. Clary groaned inside.

"You're a teenage boy, Mr. Wayland. I'm not entirely inclined to believe you."

Jace let his chair fall. "I wasn't flirting with them," he said through clenched teeth. "I have a girlfriend."

Clary flushed a deep red.

Mr. Riordan sighed and picked up a pink slip. "Detention, Mr. Wayland."

Jace watched him stoically. Anyone else would've tried arguing further. Not Jace. He was too proud. He accepted the detention assignation without so much as the blink of an eye. Mr. Riordan pointed to the back row. "And you may remove yourself from the presence of these ladies. Go sit in that empty desk next to Mr. Valdez."

Jace began to saunter towards Clary, who had quickly shut her notebook. He waited until Mr. Riordan had continued writing on the board before grinning at Clary. _He planned this, _she realized. _He thought of this the moment he saw the seating chart._ She tried to look disapproving as Jace dropped into the chair on the other side of Leo, who didn't look all too happy to have someone as attractive as Jace sitting next to him, but it didn't work. Jace saw straight through her and slipped the pink slip into his pocket, smirking at her.

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW This was kind of a filler chapter, I know a lot of you were looking forward to Clary getting pissed and hitting someone or something. But patience, my young Padawans. It will come. It will come. **

**To Anonymous: I love every single one of your ideas and I am going to incorporate every single one into my story. So thank you SO much.**

**To Guest #1: No worries! Jace and Clary will not break up, I promise. I'm a hard-core Clace shipper so I would never do that. They will fight though ;)**

**To Blue-Eyed-Fantasies: No worries Magnus will definitely be in here, eventually. He plays a HUGE part. He's just not here yet. **

**THANK YOU ALL. KEEP THE IDEAS COMING. REMEMBER. THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY. ~S**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Obviously, by the way, I do not own TMI. Although I wish I did. I like this chapter, but I think it goes a little too fast. And I feel like Clary's out of character sometimes. Oh well. Let me know if you think the same please! Enjoyyyy my lovelies : )**

"Where's Jace?"

Clary sighed and set her tray down on the table that Isabelle had managed to reserve for their little group. "He got detention in the first ten minutes of first period," she replied, picking up a French fry.

Isabelle snorted. "Only Jace."

Simon poked at his green looking hamburger, wrinkling his nose. "So how are you guys doing so far?"

"Alec tried to go to the bathroom during Food Economics," Isabelle laughed. "It was pretty hilarious. The whole class was staring at him like he'd just murdered someone."

Alec slunk down in his seat, turning red. "How was I supposed to know that you had to ask? It's a ridiculous rule."

Clary stifled a laugh. "It's there so you don't have half the school in the bathroom at once. People like to ditch class and hide in the bathroom, so—"

She stopped abruptly as Jace entered the cafeteria with Vivien practically hanging off his arm. Clary scowled as she watched Vivien pout her lips and gesture to her table. At least Jace had the decency to look uncomfortable. Jace shook his head and pointed to the table Clary was sitting at. She saw Vivien glance quickly at Isabelle and then say something, grinning. Jace's easy smile returned and he nodded, detaching himself from Vivien's arm and sauntering over to Clary.

He sighed and sat down, pulling Clary into a quick hug. She looked up at him. "I thought you had detention."

Jace smirked, still enveloping Clary in his arms. "I managed to convince the teacher that I was innocent."

Clary rolled her eyes. "Jace…"

"What? I _am _innocent. I wasn't flirting with those girls. They were flirting with me and I saw an opportunity to sit closer to you, so I didn't stop them."

Clary shook her head, smiling. "You are impervious," she said, kissing him on the cheek.

Simon coughed loudly. "All right all right. You guy don't want to get PDA'd on the first day, now, do you?"

Jace looked at him. "PDA'd?" he repeated.

Clary groaned and pulled reluctantly away from Jace. "PDA stands for Public Display of Affection. One of the many things you can get detention here at St. Xavier's," she said in her best authoritative voice.

Jace shook his head and stole one of Clary's French fries.

"Hey Jacey!"

Clary looked up to see Vivien and her posse squeezing onto the benches of the table, making Simon nearly fall off. Simon scowled. Clary glared daggers at Jace. "_Jacey_?" she hissed in his ear.

Jace shrugged and scooted over until he was practically sitting on top of Clary, as Vivien slid in on the other side of him. Clary growled low in her throat. She suddenly felt like an animal who needed to mark her territory. She shook her head violently to get rid of the feeling.

"So, Jacey. How's your day been going?" Vivien said, flashing him a row of perfectly white teeth.

"Alright."

"I heard you got detention in English today," she said, fake pouting.

"Yeah," Jace smirked. "But I managed to get out of it."

"Oh of _course _you did, Jacey. You're perfect," she gushed.

Clary thought she was laying it on a bit too thick. Okay, a _lot_ too thick. Jace grinned at her. "I know."

"Aren't you just the sweetest thing?"

Jace gave her an expression of mock disapproval and wagged a finger at her. "No, no, no. I'm a man. Men are not _sweet_. Men are tough and strong."

"I'm sorry Jacey," Vivien pouted again, leaning against Jace's arm. She giggled and poked his arm. _Hey,_ Clary thought. _Only I should be able to do that._

"You _are_ strong, Jacey."

This was becoming all too much for Clary and she could feel the heat rising to her face. She suddenly came up with an idea. She started coughing and Jace immediately turned around and took her hand in his. "Clary? Are you okay?"

Clary shook her head and kept coughing. Jace looked worried. "Here, drink some of your water." He handed her the cup, but she shook her head again and pushed his hand back.

"Can't…breathe…"

Jace scooted back a little bit, picking Clary up like a little girl and putting her on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she laid her head on top of his. Her cough was magically gone and she smirked at Vivien, who was scowling. Clary's smirk widened and she wrapped her arms around Jace's neck, pulling him into her.

Vivien stood up abruptly. "I just remembered. I have some homework to finish. Let's go girls."

And just like that, Vivien was gone. Simon muttered, "We don't even have homework yet. It's the first day."

Jace shook his head and let Clary slide back onto the bench, his left arm still around her. He looked at her with a glint of amusement in his yellow eyes. "You're adorable when you do that."

Clary lifted her chin and crossed her arms. "Do what?"

"Anything done out of jealousy." He smirked and brushed her lips with his.

Isabelle laughed. "Meow, Clary. I thought for sure you were going to tackle that girl to the ground the minute she even breathed on Jace. That's how murderous you looked."

Clary blushed. "I like to think I'm above that. Although who knows? If she gets too close, I will tackle her to the ground."

Simon shook his head. Isabelle slung both of her arms around him. "If anybody even looks at Simon, I _will _tackle them to the ground. And then I'll beat them into the ground, Shadowhunter style."

Simon blushed and pecked Isabelle on the cheek.

The rest of lunch went by uneventfully and soon enough the bell rang. Clary was about to join Simon for math when Jace held her back. "What?" she asked him, trying to read his expression.

He kissed her. "Don't worry about any of those girls, okay? I told you before, the only person I'm even remotely interested in is _you_."

"You don't act like it," she mumbled into his shirt.

He lifted her face. "Yes, I do. Trust me. I've always loved you, and I always will. Okay?"

"Okay." She sighed.

"Good." The half-smile was back. "You're staying after school to hunt, right?"

Clary nodded. Jace grinned. "See you then."

With another quick kiss, he disappeared and Clary was running to catch up with Simon. He looked at her quizzically. "Everything okay?"

Clary nodded. "Just not used to sharing him, I guess."

Simon laughed. "I used to dream about you saying that about me."

Clary smiled at him. "Well, you have Isabelle to look out for now."

He scowled. "I know. Every time a guy checks her out or even glances at her, I'm tempted to…bite them."

It was Clary's turn to laugh. "You sound like a dog when you say that. 'I want to bite them.' That's priceless, Si."

Simon laughed a little. Clary looked at him, remembering something and becoming serious. "Simon. Try to avoid any…conflict." Her gaze flitted up to his forehead.

He nodded. "I know. I've been steering clear of anyone who might make me angry. Although, Vivien almost got turned into a pillar of salt." He smiled ruefully. "I was angry that she was hitting on Jace."

Clary smiled. "Awe, thanks Si. It's nice to know you'll stand up for me. And Jace said he'd protect you, by the way."

"For my sake or everyone else's sake?"

Clary blushed. "Well, he _said_ everyone else's, but I'm sure he—"

Simon shook his head, grinning. "I don't need protection Clary. He's right in protecting everyone else."

They'd arrived at their math class and they found seats next to each other. Clary did her best to pay attention to the lesson, but her eyes were on Vivien, who was seated at the front of the room. Clary was glaring daggers at the girl and Simon seemed to notice. He leaned over. "Clary. Chill out. She knows you're Jace's girlfriend now, and as cruel as she can be, I don't think she'd stoop that low just for a guy."

"You'd be surprised at what girls will do for a guy," Clary replied, but she felt a bit better. Vivien wouldn't stoop that low, would she? And anyway, Jace told Clary he loved her numerous times. Supposed incest didn't even stop him, so why should one pathetic, flirtatious high school slut get in his way?

Jace. The boy was complicated beyond belief. Just when Clary thought she'd pinpointed him, he did something that surprised her. Or he told her some incredible secret he'd been holding back for years. She knew he trusted her. He knew she trusted him. But Jace had some emotional issues. Clary didn't know if these were caused by Valentine or if it was just Jace's personality, but he didn't seem to think he deserved anything. He was always asking her why she'd picked him when she could have anyone else.

He was so blind sometimes. Didn't he understand? No one had ever looked at her the same way he did. Not even Simon. Jace was the only one who had ever seen her as beautiful and talented and strong. And he was perfect. Jace was the one who could have any girl he wanted. Not Clary. Clary felt as if it were Jace or nothing. She would gladly pick nothing, if she couldn't have Jace. There was no going back after him, she realized. There would never be anyone after him. If he died, or left her…she would live the rest of her life alone.

But he wouldn't leave her. Clary knew that. Jace would die before he broke up with her, and even though he had a few near-death experiences (and one death experience, technically), he always came back for her.

The bell finally rang and Clary turned to Simon, packing her messenger bag. "Are you coming with us?"

Simon shook his head. "Not today. I've got to get home."

"Izzy's going to kill you."

He smirked and lifted the hem of his shirt, where a faint red handprint still glowed. "She already did."

Clary gasped. "Simon! She hit you?"

Simon let his shirt fall back down. "Relax, I gave her permission to. She looked mad enough to punch some poor mundane so I told her to hit me instead. And she did."

"But—what about the mark?"

"I don't think it works if you honestly give someone permission to hit you." He shook his head and stepped out of the school, heading toward the parking lot. "Seeya Clary!"

She waved and turned back to the school, to find the Lightwoods and Jace…and was stopped by Vivien and her friends. Clary grimaced. "What do you want?"

"So, Cuh-_laire. _How'd you get poor Jacey to go out with you? Promise him help with his homework?"

Clary's hands clenched at her sides. "No. We've been going out for over two weeks, actually."

Vivien smiled poisonously. "Did your mommy paint a picture of him or something?"

Two weeks ago, Clary would have started crying. Two weeks ago, Jocelyn would have still been passed out in the hospital. Now, Clary just grit her teeth. "No. It's complicated okay?"

"We have time."

"Well, I don't. Now if you'll excuse me—"

"Oh no, Cuh-laire. I'm not done."

Clary narrowed her eyes. "I am. And if you don't move, I'll kick your ass."

Vivien stepped closer to Clary, and Clary choked on the scent of Vivien's strong vanilla perfume. "I don't know why he would choose you. You're not pretty at all. He deserves someone like me. Someone who will gain him status in school. He probably had no idea what girls were like when he moved here. You just had to pounce on him before school, didn't you? Couldn't let anyone else have a shot at him, could you? You're so selfish, Cuh-laire."

Clary was trembling with rage. "My name is not 'Cuh-laire,'" she said, mimicking Vivien's nasally voice. "It's _Clary_. And none of that's true. So move."

Vivien stayed where she was, twirling her perfectly coiffed chestnut hair. "You're a little whore aren't you? That's why he picked you. I'll bet he thinks you're real good in bed. You little slut. You just decided to prey on him and get into his pants."

Tears stung Clary's eyes. As if in a dream, she saw herself swing her arm back…

"You're the last one who should be with him, Cuh-laire. You hoe. You're just a little—"

…and slam her fist into the side of Vivien's face.

**Hope you guys liked it! Cliff-hanger! Clary finally punched Vivien. Good. The little skank deserved it. I decided to make Vivien a sluttier version of Massie from The Clique. I actually adore Massie and all those books, but Massie calls Claire "Cuh-laire" all the time, so I interpreted it into here and decided to make Vivien a sort of Massie. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. I am loving your guys' reviews so far. They make my day : ) So keep it up!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys! Once again, I do not own the Mortal Instruments, much to my own chagrin. :S If you're thinking I'm absolutely amazing because I'm cranking out chapters, you should know this: I'm trying to give you guys chapters as much as possible because starting this Sunday, I'll be gone until August 20! :O I MAY update a chapter when I'm gone. I don't know. Anyway, this is full of…violent action. So enjoy : )**

Clary launched herself at Vivien, who had fallen onto the ground when Clary punched her. Vivien held a hand to her face, crying out furiously. Clary dropped down on the girl's stomach and angrily broke all the necklaces she was wearing in half, tossing them to the side. "You little bitch!" Clary cried out.

By now a crowd of teenagers had gathered around them, some chanting "fight fight fight!", some just standing there and gaping. As Clary pinned Vivien's wrists to the ground under her knees, she could hear whispers and murmurs running through the crowd. "When did _she_ learn to fight?"

"I heard she's been taking Tae-Kwan-Do all summer."

"That super hot new boy..I'll bet he taught her to fight. They're going out you know."

Clary ignored them all and laid her arm across Vivien's neck. A sudden lance of hot pain burst through Clary's head and she gasped, her vision going black. She saw white stars bursting in the air. When she regained her vision, she realized that Vivien had kicked her in the back of the head and she was now on the ground. Vivien rose and lifted a seven-inch heel over Clary's face.

Clary rolled away, recalling some of what Jace had taught her in the past few weeks. She smirked as she saw Vivien's heel crash clumsily on the ground and snap off of the rest of the shoe. Clary jumped up, placing her right foot a little ahead of her left foot, shoulder-width apart, and she squared her shoulders, flexing her fingers. Vivien tossed both of her shoes aside, into the crowd , and ran at Clary, slamming full-force into her.

Clary staggered back and wiggled her hands in between their chests and gave Vivien a good shove, crying out when she realized that Vivien had gotten a hold of her hair, and had yanked a ton of it out. Clary advanced and kicked Vivien's legs out from under her. Vivien grabbed Clary's ankle, pulling her to the ground. Clary's face grazed the pavement, splitting her lower lip and giving her a bloody nose. She wiped the blood from her face and punched Vivien's knee, giving her a dead leg.

Vivien didn't give up though. She crawled up behind Clary, who was gingerly touching her lip, and tackled her back onto the ground. For the next few minutes, Clary wasn't aware of anything except for the fact that her body was tangled with Vivien's and both of them were desperately trying to at least knock the other girl out. Clary landed quite a few punches and kicks on Vivien's body, tearing her designer clothes to shreds.

Vivien had managed to rip the front of Clary's shirt open, exposing her bra and her white chest and stomach. For every punch and kick Clary had landed, Vivien had gotten in at least that many bites and scratches.

The next thing Clary knew, she was being yanked from Vivien's grasp by strong arms. She fought them blindly, but they just held onto her tighter. She screamed and punched and kicked until she heard a hiss in her ear. "Clary, stop. Clary, it's me. It's Jace"

Clary stopped abruptly and looked up into the eyes of her boyfriend. Her savior. Her rock. Jace looked down and noticed Clary's shirt. He bit his lip and let go of her slowly, standing in front of her and handing her his backpack. "Put your arms through it," he said in a low voice.

She did as she was told and watched, grimacing as Jace held a hand out to Vivien, helping her up. He looked around at the onlookers. "Take a picture, it'll last longer," he said, with an unusual edge to his voice.

The crowd scattered and Isabelle and Alec ran up behind Vivien, whose back was to the school, breathless. Alec's eyes widened when he saw Vivien and Clary, torn, bloody, and bruised. "What the hell happened here?"

Jace folded his arms and looked at Clary sternly. "I think we'd all like to know that."

Clary turned red and hugged Jace's backpack tightly, not meeting his eyes. Instead, she stared at Vivien, who made another attempt at flirting. "She attacked me, Jacey, she—"

Jace whirled on her. "Don't. Call. Me. Jacey," he said through clenched teeth, getting very close to her. "My name is _Jace_, and you just got in a fight with my _girlfriend_. She may have a short temper and she may be incredibly disobedient, but she did not 'attack' you for no good reason. Can you tell me what that reason is?"

Vivien shrank back, shaking her head violently. Isabelle moved over to Clary, wrapping an arm around her friend's shoulder. Alec stood protectively beside her. Jace, without moving away from Vivien, turned to look at his girlfriend. In that moment, Clary saw Jace as what he could become one day. Her husband. Her protector. She realized what made marriage relationships so special. The people in the partnership held each other accountable for their actions. Jace was holding her accountable for this fight. She owed him the truth.

Clary swallowed and held Jace's gaze. "She…called me a slut. And a whore. And she said that I didn't deserve you, and that I was just trying to…to…"

Jace's gaze softened almost imperceptibly and he held up a hand to stop her. He turned back to Vivien. "Is that true?" he said, dangerously quiet.

Vivien's eyes widened. "No! She's lying, I—"

"You little _bitch_!" Isabelle released Clary and stomped up to Vivien, half-pushing Jace aside. Isabelle grabbed Vivien by the shirt and got in her face. "Why the hell would Clary lie about that? You're lucky you're a human, because if you weren't, I swear by the _Angel_, I would have a knife through you in five seconds. I would wrap my damn whip—"

"_Isabelle_!" Alec said sharply.

Isabelle hunched her shoulders over, not releasing Vivien. Vivien whimpered. "You better watch your back, mundie. Because I'm watching you. You step out of line one more time, and you'll get a little taste of my whip. Got it?" Isabelle hissed.

Vivien whimpered.

"Isabelle, that's enough." Jace's voice was stern, almost fatherly.

Isabelle released Vivien, pushing her away. "Get out of my sight."

Vivien ran away, like a cat darting under a couch, hiding from the pack of dogs hunting it down. Clary suddenly felt weak, her injuries catching up with her, the adrenaline seeping out of her veins. Her knees buckled and she fell, but Jace and Alec were there to catch her. Jace pulled his backpack off of her chest and her own back pack off of her back and Alec kindly took them both from him. Jace picked her up like a baby and held her close to him. He walked over to a bench and sat down, resting her back against his legs. She watched him guiltily as he absently pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. "You stupid girl," he murmured. "What got into you?"

Clary began to tear up. Jace looked down at her concernedly. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

She didn't answer. She just reached up, like a toddler and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shirt. He laid his head on the top of hers and held her tightly, stroking her hair softly. Isabelle sat next to him. "Jace, maybe you should give her an iratze instead of squeezing her to death."

He shook his head. "No. She's going to heal normally. Alec made me heal normally when I punched that window. I punched that window because I was angry. Clary got into a fight because she was angry. So she will heal naturally."

Clary's mind went back to that awful day when Jace had yelled at her and she had walked in on him making out with Aline. She whimpered into his shirt, and he held her tighter. Alec put a hand on Jace's shoulder. "You're not her father, Jace."

"No. But I am her boyfriend."

"Jace, don't you think you're being a little—" Isabelle started.

Clary lifted her head up and looked at Isabelle. "No, he's right. I let my temper get the best of me. I'll heal normally. It's not like I never have before."

Jace smiled at her. "That's my girl."

Isabelle sighed, defeated. "All right, but can we at least get back to the Institute and clean her up? She looks awful."

Jace nodded and stood up, carrying Clary out to the street. Alec managed to flag down a taxi and they all crammed inside. The cabbie's eyes widened when he saw Clary. "You guys need to go to the hospital?"

Alec shook his head. "No, we just need to go home." He gave the address of the Institute and paid the cabbie up front.

"So…what happened, _exactly_?" Isabelle asked.

Clary wrapped Jace's shirt around her fingers and sighed. "Well, I had just turned around from saying goodbye to Simon to go back inside and then Vivien and her friends were there blocking my path. I tried to get around them and keep my temper, I really did but—"

Clary hiccupped and Jace shushed her. "Take it slowly."

She took a deep breath. "Vivien kept telling me that I wasn't good enough for you." She looked straight into Jace's eyes as she talked. "She said that I was a slut and a whore and a hoe, and that I was desperate. And she kept on saying how I just _pounced_ on you when you 'moved here' and didn't give anyone else a chance to go out with you."

Jace bit his lip and Isabelle muttered under her breath, "That little _bitch_!"

Jace held Clary's gaze, reading her expression. "What else did she tell you? Just say it Clary. I need to know."

She swallowed and hiccupped again. She held on to Jace's shirt tighter. "She-she said that the only reason you decided to go out with me was because…" She couldn't bring herself to say it. Sure, she and Jace had gone pretty far before, but they hadn't ever actually talked about having sex.

"Tell me, Clary," Jace said, the stern tone he had before creeping into his voice.

"She said that you must have realized I was 'good in bed.' And that the only reason I wanted to date you would be to…to…get in your pants," she finally said, in a tiny voice.

Jace took a deep breath and blew it out hard. Clary could tell he was trying to hold onto his temper, because his muscles had gone rigid under her. Isabelle fiddled with her whip. "I'm going to murder her. I swear. Alec, you better keep an eye on me or I might do something we'll all regret. Thank God you beat her up, Clary. I've taught you well."

Jace's smile finally returned, but Clary could see cold fury behind it. "No way, Iz. I taught her how to fight. She was doing pretty well back there, I must say. I was impressed."

"You were? I was?"

The Lightwoods and Jace all gave her approving nods. Jace bent over and kissed her on the forehead. "Of course you were."

**Okay I wrote this chapter today even though I already updated today and it only took me an hour. I was on a roll! Man. I have to say, this is my favorite chapter. Not to toot my own horn, but I think I got the characters down pretty well in this chapter. What do you guys think? If you think I didn't get them right, just let me know! I'll see what I can work on. : ) Any and all comments and reviews are welcome. So please please PLEASE review! Love you all. *le heart* ~S**


	5. Chapter 5

**This will be my last chapter until sometime after August 20 : ( This is basically a fluff chapter…I like fluff… Clace AND Malec fluff so GET READY MALEC FANS. Magnus won't be here a WHOLE lot…but you'll get a little taste, I promise ;) Oh yeah…and this is probably REALLY OOC. So…remember to let me know if you think it's TOO OOC. Or maybe it's in character? Idk. TELL ME PLEASE. ;)**

Jace carried Clary into the Institute, her arms still wrapped around his neck. Her energy was slowly draining and she suddenly felt exhausted. She wanted to go to sleep, and her eyes were fluttering. Jace shook her gently. "Come on, Clary. You've got to stay awake. Just an hour and then you can sleep, I promise."

Clary fought to keep her eyes open, studying the stitching in Jace's shirt and swinging her legs back and forth over Jace's arm. He tightened his grip on her. "By the Angel, Clary, I'm going to drop you."

She swung her legs harder. "Keep talking," she whispered.

Jace adjusted his grip on her and shouldered the door to the infirmary open. He was about to set Clary down, when she tightened her arms around his neck. "No, don't. I'll fall asleep if I lay down. Just talk to me," she pleaded.

He sat on the bed and sat her up on his lap. She winced. Jace started playing with her hair absentmindedly. "What do you want me to talk about?"

Clary shrugged painfully. "Anything. Just keep me awake."

Jace grinned, a playful glint in his eye. "I could talk about my fantastic self."

She rolled her eyes. "I said I wanted to stay awake, not fall asleep."

"You're right. My voice _is _incredibly soothing, and you might end up having…shall we say, _frustrated _dreams?"

Clary smacked his arm. "I would not."

He smirked. "You would. Admit it, you would." He pecked her on the cheek.

Clary winced, and Jace frowned. "Sorry."

"It's alright. They're victory marks," she replied, letting go of Jace and trying to pull the front of her shirt together, suddenly self-conscious.

"I could get you another shirt…from my room…"

Clary shook her head. "No. I don't want to get up and if you leave, I'll fall asleep."

Jace swallowed, averting his eyes. "Do you have anything else you could wear?"

She shook her head. "Sorry."

He turned back to her abruptly. "Take off your shirt."

Clary furrowed her brow. "Why?"

"Just do it."

Clary bit the inside of her cheek and slipped her torn shirt off as if it were a vest, discarding it on the floor. She turned back to look at Jace, whose shirt was suddenly gone. She swallowed hard.

"You can wear my shirt," he said unevenly.

Clary smiled. "Thanks, Jace."

His smirk was back. "You look almost as good as I do, wearing my shirt."

It was Clary's turn to smirk. "And you look almost as good as I do, wearing _no _shirt."

She saw him swallow visibly and she bit back a laugh. Clary leaned forward and pressed her lips gently to his. His instinct was to wrap his arms around her, but she groaned in pain a little when he did so. Instead, she wrapped her fingers around his wrists and guided his hands to parts of her body that weren't bruised. Jace started to lean forward into her, but Clary curled her fingers against his chest, preventing him from getting too close. She wanted this time alone as much as he did, but she was hurt, and every bone in her body seemed like it was made of lead.

Clary was the first to pull away. Jace just sat there, looking at her as she moved away from him and crawled under the bedsheets, stretching out her sore muscles and wincing every so often. He got up off her bed and sat in the chair next to the bed, picking Clary's torn green shirt up from the floor. He kissed her forehead and took her hand in his, gently examining the small scrapes and bruises.

"Do _not_ fall asleep. I'll be right back."

Jace left the room and Clary was left to stare at the ceiling. Her mind was somewhat clouded and for a minute, she'd forgotten why she was in the infirmary. _Vivien_. The girl's name alone made her want to scream. Clary gingerly touched her lip. It needed stitches. Her head was pounding and her left eye was slowly swelling up. She had scrapes and bruises on her knees, elbows and the palms of her hands. She knew she smelled like blood, sweat and asphalt, and her hair had become a wild rats' nest.

Jace returned, holding a large, white plastic box. He sat back down, looking at her face carefully. "Magnus is coming and he's going to look at you. To find injuries that you and I may have overlooked," he said, placing the box on the night stand and opening it up to reveal a large first-aid kit.

Clary smiled weakly. "Jace Wayland overlooking something? Is that even _possible_?" she asked, her voice tinted with sarcasm.

He looked at her seriously, pulling out some medical thread and a sterile needle. Clary gulped. Jace threaded the needle. "I overlook my own injuries a lot of times, so it would be easy for me to overlook yours."

"I doubt that."

Jace smiled. "Are you implying that I'm overprotective?"

"…Maybe."

Jace sat on the edge of the bed. "This is going to hurt a little, but not too much. The nerve endings have already been severed, so I'm basically sewing dead skin together."

"That's encouraging," Clary muttered, opening her mouth for him.

Within thirty seconds, Jace had fixed her lip and she had barely felt a thing. He put the needle and thread away. "Do you want a mundane painkiller?"

Clary laughed. "You mean like Tylenol?"

Jace nodded. Clary nodded painfully. "Yeah. My head is killing me."

He handed her a couple of white pills and some water. Jace set an ice pack over her eye and got to fixing all of her scrapes. "You got pretty scraped up back there," he said, his voice tinted with amusement. "Nice job."

She didn't say anything, just watched as he gently wrapped her knees and elbows and hands in gauze. Every time his fingers so much as brushed her skin, a jolt of electricity seemed to shoot through her body straight to her heart. Clary was somewhat relieved when he finished. Jace put the first aid kit away and took her hand again and began gently rubbing her knuckles. "Now, we just—"

"Magnus the Magnificent is here!"

Jace whirled around and Clary grinned at Magnus, who was standing in the doorway, Alec hovering behind him. Isabelle ducked under Magnus's risen arms and sat on the edge of Clary's bed. "You look awful," she said. "It must suck to have to heal without runes."

Clary grinned at Isabelle. "You should try it one day. It might do you some good."

Isabelle laughed humorlessly and shook her head. "No way in hell, Clary."

Magnus stood over Clary. "Alright, Love bird number one. Move."

Jace blinked. Magnus sighed dramatically and poked Jace's arm. "That means _you_."

Jace reluctantly got up from his chair and moved to the other side of the bed. Magnus cracked his knuckles and looked at Clary. "Well, you seem fine, mostly."

Clary furrowed her brow. "You haven't even looked at me."

Magnus grinned at her, his yellow eyes making him look like the mischievous Cheshire cat. "You forget, my dear. I'm a warlock. I can simply look at you and know everything that's wrong."

"That's disturbing," she mumbled.

Jace had taken Clary's hand hostage again and was playing with her fingers. "What do you mean, 'mostly fine?'" he asked.

Magnus squinted at Clary for a moment. "She has a minor concussion in the back of her skull. Nothing rest won't fix."

Clary groaned. "No wonder my head hurts so badly."

Jace furrowed his brow. "Did your head really slam against the pavement that hard?"

"No. Vivien kicked me in the back of the head. I had her wrists pinned under my knees, like you had taught me, but I kind of forgot about her legs. And she kicked me to get me off of her."

Jace swore under his breath and then looked at her. "You need to stay here, in bed, until your concussion heals."

"But that could be weeks!" she protested.

"Clary's right. Minor concussions can take up to four weeks to heal," Isabelle recalled. "We need her for demon hunting. She's the only one who knows the school well enough to lead us around."

Magnus gently lifted Clary's head up and looked at Jace. "Can you pull her hair back?"

Jace gathered Clary's hair up and Magnus examined her scalp. He laid her head back down on the pillow and Jace let her hair fan out, just the way he liked it. He smirked to himself. Magnus put his fingers on Clary's temples, closing his eyes and muttering something unintelligible under his breath. Finally, he sighed and sat back down.

"It should heal in about three days. Until then…no moving from this bed." He wagged a finger at Jace. "I suggest you don't hug her or even kiss her until then either. It might slow the process."

Jace nodded. Clary closed her eyes. "Thanks, Magnus," she said.

Magnus, Alec and Isabelle left and Jace laid Clary's arm back on the bed. He planted a soft kiss between her eyes. "You can sleep now."

Alec waited patiently outside for Magnus. Isabelle had disappeared into the kitchen, probably to make something poisonous, and Jace had quietly left the infirmary after Clary fell asleep to go call Luke and inform him that Clary would be staying at the Institute for a few days.

Finally, Magnus joined Alec on the front porch of the ancestral Shadowhunter stronghold. "So," he said. "Noticed any cute guys at school?"

Alec blushed. "No. Why would I? I spend all day sitting in a room, listening to some strange mundane drone on about nothing and wishing…" He dropped off.

Magnus moved closer to Alec, causing him to flush an even deeper shade of scarlet. "Wishing what, Alexander?" he said in a low voice.

"Wishing…wishing you were there with me," he got out.

Magnus pouted. "Why do you have to spend your time with all those mundanes?" He trailed a long, bony finger down Alec's front. "Why can't you spend your whole day with me?"

Alec frowned. "I wish I could, but I can't. I made a promise to Isabelle, Clary and Jace. I told them I'd be there. They're my family."

"And I'm not?" Magnus asked, dropping his hand.

Alec picked Magnus's hand back up and held it between his two palms. "One day you will be."

"Clary's not your family."

"No…but Isabelle and Jace are. Clary and Jace kind of come as a packaged deal."

Magnus closed the small space left between them. "You and I are a packaged deal, too, Alexander."

"I—"

Magnus cut Alec off by pulling him in and kissing him, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's waist. Alec relaxed into Magnus's embrace and wrapped his arms around Magnus's neck. When they finally pulled away, Alec was flushed and breathing hard. He cast his eyes downward.

"Alright, Magnus. You can come to the school with us."

**Okay really OOC ik : ( OH WELL. How did you guys like the little bit of Malec I threw in there? What do you think the students at St. Xavier's will think of Magnus and Alec? What if Jace doesn't want Magnus to tag along? What if Clary's concussion is deeper than they thought? What if, what if, what if? Teeheehee, WELL. SEE YOU GUYS IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS XD R&R PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So I hope this chapter makes up for the past two weeks I've been gone. Camp was AMAZING though! Holy crap! We learned 40 songs in two weeks, including 2 full-length masses. It was cray cray. Anyway, I kind of just came up with the ideas for this chapter as I wrote. It's incredibly OOC but I don't care anymore. Enjoy! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**

"What the hell was Magnus wearing?" Clary heard Jace hiss to Alec.

Jace, Alec, and Isabelle were all standing around Clary's bed early in the morning, whispering and trying not to wake her up. It didn't matter, though. She'd been awake when they'd come tiptoeing in after Jace, and she found amusement in listening to their conversation.

"Shut up, Jace. Just don't say anything about it," Alec replied.

Clary swallowed a laugh. Jace was always so worried about how other people viewed him, and if Magnus was going to mess up his self image…

Clary blinked and looked drowsily up into the golden eyes of Jace. She yawned and stretched dramatically as she sensed them all watching her. She sat up. "Mmmm, what time is it?"

"6:55," Isabelle said.

Jace sat next to her and intertwined their hands. Clary rested her head on his shoulder and she could feel his muscles relax. Suddenly she sat up. "We're going to be late for school!"

Isabelle and Alec looked at Jace nervously, and Clary felt Jace's shoulders tense again. Jace squeezed her hand. "Clary…Maryse, and your parents and I have decided that you should stay here and rest for a couple of days. And not go to school…"

Clary jerked away from him. "What do you mean, I'm not going to school?" she cried. "It's my school! You can't just tell me I can't go! I want to go demon hunting too."

Jace looked at her pleadingly. "Please Clary, just this once, do what you're told. Your mother wants you to stay here too."

Clary crossed her arms and glared at him. "And what's Vivien going to think when she sees you all by your lonesome? She's going to pounce on you! She's a wild, boyfriend-snatching, wildebeest who likes to—"

Jace cut her off with a laugh and Clary could feel her cheeks flood red. "Clary," Jace breathed, "I can take care of myself. I have no intention of touching that 'wild, boyfriend-snatching wildebeest' with a ten-foot pole. You have nothing to worry about." He kissed her forehead.

Clary was still angry. "But I want to help you guys find the demons. I need the practice, you know I do."

Jace just shook his head. Clary turned to Isabelle for help. "C'mon, Iz. Convince him to let me go to school."

Isabelle turned away. "Sorry, Clary. We all think it's the best thing for you to stay in bed."

There was a long pause in which no one would meet her eyes and she was glaring at every single one of them. Finally she huffed a breath of defeat and hunched her shoulders over. "Fine," she muttered. "You better make it up to me later."

Jace grinned and Clary saw the mischievous glint in his eye. "Oh, I will." He wrapped his arms around her as if she were a small child and laid her back down on her pillows. He leaned over her and she felt her breath quicken and her heart speed up. Jace pulled the blankets up to her chin and whispered, brushing her ear with his lips, "Anything you want…You still owe me a sponge bath, you know."

Clary groaned and pushed him away. Jace stood up, laughing. Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Let's go, Jace. You can seduce her into your bed later. We're going to be late."

Jace hoisted his backpack onto his shoulders and leaned down over Clary, wrapping her in his arms tightly. She buried her face in his shirt and they stayed like that for a while before Jace finally pulled away. Clary felt empty, and then gasped in surprise as his lips came crashing down onto hers. They held each other tightly and kissed for what felt like mere seconds to Clary. But Alec had begun to clear his throat and Clary broke away from Jace and laid back on her pillows, swallowing her disappointment. Jace looked disappointed too.

With a short goodbye and a lingering stare, they were gone.

Clary froze when she heard it. The deep-throated laugh underneath her bed.

**AT THE SCHOOL**

Jace was officially lost. He'd been thinking about Clary all day and he hadn't noticed that he'd randomly wandered into some hall that was foreign to him. He didn't really care. He just leaned up against a wall and sighed.

It had been incredibly hard for him to make Clary stay at the Institute. He understood

how badly she wanted to hunt with them, and he knew it would be hard to spend the day lying in bed by herself, without anyone to talk to. Jace massaged his temples. He had to protect her. She was his, he was hers. They were each other's responsibility. Clary wouldn't have thought twice about making Jace stay in bed all day, had he been the one injured. The thought encouraged him.

Isn't that what true love is? Making difficult decisions that benefit the one you love more than they benefit yourself? When did you realize that you were truly in love? Jace supposed it was when you were willing to do anything for that person… die for them, protect them. Clary told him once that the biggest sign you were in love was when you could let go of them, if letting go benefited them the most. Jace had only laughed at her and told her that he could never let go.

But now he realized that he _had_ been able to let go of her…for a time. Maybe not mentally, but he now understood that if you truly loved someone, you would never mentally let go. You had to physically let go. That's what he and Clary did when they thought they were brother and sister. Jace shuddered at the memory and moved to leave when he saw a flash of long, perfectly coiffed, chestnut hair. He melted back into the shadows.

Vivien leaned over to take a drink from the drinking fountain across the hall. When she was done, she stood up and shook her hair. "I know you're there, _Jace_. So unless you want me to hurt your precious little girlfriend, come out."

Jace laughed and stepped out into the hall. "You can't hurt Clary without first going through me. And I'm a pretty damn good fighter, so, unless you want your innards being fed to my cat, leave my girlfriend alone."

Vivien laughed. "Oh Jace. It's not your girlfriend I want. It's _you_."

Jace smirked. "I know, I'm the most attractive thing you've ever seen in your life, and yes, millions of girls scream my name every day, each trampling each other only for the chance to touch my magnificent form," he said egotistically. "But no one gets to touch me. Only Clary. And boy, does she—"

"Oooookay!" Vivien cut him off. "I don't need to hear about your sex life…even though I know you don't have one."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know Clary's a virgin, Jace. I know you two haven't done the deed," she said, grinning as if she'd caught him in a trap.

Jace looked at her, puzzled. "Why does that even matter to you?"

"I know how much you protect her…"

"I don't see where this is going. It seems to me that you're just coming up with an excuse to talk to me. If you want me to talk to you, all you've got to do is piss me off, and you've done that already. I even _touched_ you. Be thankful. Not many girls get that privilege," he said, crossing his arms.

"Hook up with me, Jace," Vivien said.

Jace raised an eyebrow. "You don't get it, do you? Are you really that stupid?"

Vivien laughed. "No, Jace. You're the one who doesn't get it. Hook up with me. In fact, from now on, I'm your girlfriend. And you will do as I say."

"Or what?" Jace said sarcastically. She was really pissing him off. But he knew he couldn't hurt a mundane. Pity.

"Or Clary gets raped."

Jace's heart skipped a beat, but he solidified his features into a mask of indifference. "Good luck with that."

"Thank you. I know where she is. She's in the Institute. And if Rocky was on time…she's being held captive in her closet. All I have to do is press this button, and he rapes Clary." She held up something that looked like a pager and Jace sucked air in through his teeth,

"You're lying."

Vivien raised a perfectly waxed eyebrow. "Am I? I can see the Shadow world, Shadowhunter. My mother was a witch. She adopted me and taught me everything I need to know. I can even perform some black magic. Rocky is an Adsecula demon, a parasitic demon. If he rapes her, she'll become pregnant with his child and it will slowly eat its way out of her, killing her slowly and agonizingly."

Jace swallowed. "So all I have to do is have sex with you? Why go through so much trouble?"

"Because you'd never agree to it otherwise. And I don't just want sex Jace. You will be my boyfriend. And when we graduate, you will marry me. I may even let you see Clary from time to time. For now, I'm going to hide her somewhere you'll never find her." Vivien grinned.

Jace's heart was pounding in his ears.

"So what'll it be, Jacey? Will you be my boyfriend? Or shall I press this button?" Her finger hovered above the pager.

Jace bit back a wave of fury. "I'll be your boyfriend," he said harshly.

"Oh, good!" Vivien clapped. "And if you even try to tell anyone about this…I'll press the button. Anything, Jace. If you do something I don't like, I'm pressing the button."

Jace wordlessly wrapped his arm around her waist, a sharp pain in his chest, like a knife being driven into his heart.

**VIVIEN WAS RAISED BY A WITCH?! WHAT?! I'll bet that's what you all were thinking. I was originally going to have her end up being a shape-changing demon, but I thought a human girl with dark powers would be cooler and more dramatic. And uh, let's all hope Rocky doesn't end up raping Clary. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW MY LOVELIES.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys! WOW. I went from 38 to 62 reviews almost OVERNIGHT. You have no idea how excited I got. You guys honestly make my day and you make me want to update faster. :) So…do you thinks we could get to between 90-100 reviews this chapter? I may include a bonus chapter if more people review that may get you guys a glimpse at how Vivien was raised… Also, I have decided that I will update **_**every Saturday**_**. So you can expect a chapter every week on the same day. That doesn't mean I won't be updating this story any other day of the week, it just means you're guaranteed a chapter each Saturday. Also my other TMI fanfic, **_**The Girl from the Dream**_** will be updated ever Monday. Yeah, so, hope you enjoy this chapter : )**

Isabelle glanced at Jace across the room in their economy class. He was fiddling with his pencil under his desk, his usually calm demeanor replaced with something Isabelle couldn't identify. His face was as pale and ashen, the color of a huge, fluffy looking thundercloud, just before darkness overtook the land and the clouds deluged the land below with water. Isabelle began to wonder if Jace's eyes would rain.

He noticed her staring at him and just like that, his smirk was back. He leaned back in his chair and waved at her, raising an eyebrow. Isabelle rolled her eyes and began doodling on her paper, her mind racing. What was wrong with him? He'd been like that ever since the end of first period. What he needed, she decided, was to see Clary.

That must be it. Jace must be worried about leaving Clary alone. But…she was at the Institute. Jace should have no reason to fear for her safety. Something nagged at the back of Isabelle's mind and she groped for it. The thought, however, was as elusive as a monarch butterfly joining the millions of other butterflies for their migration to Mexico. She knew it was there…but it simply blended in with everything else.

Maybe Clary could figure it out. Isabelle raised her hand. "Mr. Gregory?"

"Yes, Isabelle?" the teacher turned to her, smiling.

Isabelle put on her most dazzling smile. "I'm really sorry for interrupting, but my brother and I have a doctor's appointment, so we have to leave."

Mr. Gregory nodded. "Jace, you and your sister will have to get the work from your classmates tomorrow."

Jace was already up, with his backpack slung easily over his shoulder. "No problem." He winked at a couple of girls and sauntered out of the room, Isabelle trailing after him.

She caught up with him in the hallway and they fell in step beside each other. They'd been raised as warrior's together. A lot of the stuff they did, although they were not parabatai, they did simultaneously. Isabelle pushed back a loose strand of hair irritably. "Alright," she said. "What's up?"

Jace eyes went dark and he looked at her. "What do you mean, 'what's up'? 'What's up' is a general phrase that could refer to anything, really. I could reply with 'the sky', or—"

"You know what I mean, Jace," Isabelle snapped. "You look sick."

Jace hesitated before answering. "Breakfast didn't agree with me."

"You didn't have breakfast."

Jace stared at the ground and put his hands in his pockets.

Isabelle sighed. "Does this have to do with Clary? Wait, no, why am I asking that? Everything has to do with Clary."

"You just don't understand, Iz," he mumbled, sounding a little dejected.

Isabelle thought of Simon. "Yeah, actually, I do. And if you won't tell me, well then…I'll ask Clary myself. She tells me everything."

Jace looked at her, a slightly alarmed look in his eyes. "She does?"

"Well, no. But I can get something out of her."

"No you can't."

"Yes, I—"

"You can't, because she's not there," he said, almost as if he spit out the last three words.

Isabelle glanced at him sharply. "What do you mean? Of course she's—"

"I mean, she's _not there_."

There was something pleading in his voice and Isabelle studied him hard. He was hiding something from her, and it was eating him up from the inside out, she knew it. He'd only ever acted this way once, when he told everyone it didn't matter to him that Clary was his sister. That he didn't love her in that way. However, when it came to his girlfriend, Jace was the worst liar in the world. He wore his heart on his sleeve, for his friends and family to see and try and comprehend. Isabelle didn't understand why. That was just how it worked.

"Then where is she?" Isabelle demanded.

Jace took a deep breath. "Her mom decided that it would be better if Clary were healing at home, not the Institute, where her _boyfriend_ is." He kicked a rock in the street, angrily.

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "_That's_ what you're so upset about? God…you are so whipped Jace."

"No I'm not."

"Yeah, you are. She has you tied around her little finger, and the funniest thing is, is she doesn't know it," Isabelle laughed.

Jace shrugged and looked at his phone with that expectant, hopeful look people got when they were in a relationship. Waiting for a text message. Nothing. He sighed. "I gotta go, Iz. I just need some…alone time."

Isabelle watched him walk off down the street, his shoulders hunched over. This was a different Jace. Different, even, from the Jace who'd been madly in love with who he'd thought was his sister. This was a defeated Jace. And a Jace who'd stopped trying to fix everyone's problems, including his own, terrified Isabelle more than anything in the world.

Vivien was waiting for him on the corner, by the school. Jace felt bile rise in his throat, but he pushed it down, forcing himself to think of Clary, and then forcing himself to think of anything but her.

"Ready?" the dark haired girl chirped.

Jace just nodded. Vivien held her hand out to him and he took it, resisting the urge to snatch it away. Her hand was bony and as cold as ice. She led him through a maze of alleys to a small, clean-looking brownstone. Jace couldn't help but feel dismayed. He'd hoped she lived in some shack on the side of some tent city in the worst part of Brooklyn. But no, she lived in one of the nicer parts of the city, her home looking as average as a mundane's.

She let him into the house. Jace's eyes widened fractionally as he looked around. Black magic was everywhere. Books on demonology and semantics, the candle flames burning bright purple in their brass sconces. All the furniture, however, was white. Pure white. The walls were white, the curtains were white, the floor was white. It was like something out of a carnival fun house.

"You can just throw your backpack over there," Vivien said from the bottom of the staircase, pointing to a white couch in the living room. "My bedroom's upstairs. Come," she beckoned.

Jace reluctantly dropped his backpack and followed the loathsome girl upstairs, into her bedroom. In sharp contrast, Vivien's bedroom was electric blue, with an ivory canopy bed in the center and lace curtains blowing everywhere. There was a mirror on the far side of the room, and no windows. Jace sat down on the bed, gingerly.

He felt Vivien grab his shirt in her fist and pull him down onto the bed with her. He squeezed his eyes shut and resisted the urge to scream, to curl up in the fetal position. He was being a coward, he knew. Why couldn't he just kill her? She was breaking Clave law.

But she was a mundane, even if she was raised by a witch. The Clave would have him imprisoned for sure, and then what would he do? That Rocky thing was still out there.

Jace told himself he'd done this a million times. It used to be his habit. Every night, he'd hook up…but that was before Clary. Before he'd fallen head over heels for the girl with the shining green eyes and curly, bright red hair.

Vivien immediately tangled their limbs together and pressed her lips against his. Jace took a deep breath, and kissed her back.

**12 HOURS LATER**

Jace sat on a bench in a children's park, the wind whipping across the lawn and biting his cheeks. He stared numbly at the ground, disgusted, appalled, distrustful of himself. How had he ended up like this?

_Next time,_ he thought, _I'm getting drunk._

A tiny, annoying little voice popped up into the back of his mind. _Vivien would never let that happen. As soon as you took your first drop of Scotch, she'd press that button. She wants you to suffer. She wants this to kill you._

…_Well…she's doing a pretty good job of it._

Suddenly overcome with regret and guilt, Jace looked around to make sure no one he knew was around, buried his face in his hands, and wept.

**Sad chapter, I know. Do you guys want to hear from Clary during her imprisonment? Or do you want to wait until Jace and Clary are finally reunited (and don't worry, they will be, I'm not that mean)? REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. Next chapter is coming out on Saturday my lovelies : )**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Here's the new chapter, on Saturday, as promised :) I almost didn't write this chapter because I just finished the first week of my junior year and it's been a little crazy. Lots of homework, chores and tonight my friends and I are throwing a surprise sweet 16 for my close friend, in her barn (IK im a hick XD) but yeah. So a little crazy. Sorry the last chapter was so sad. I went back and read and I was like "oh my gosh, this is awful. No wonder I didn't get that many reviews." But this will be better, I promise. :) So enjoy!**

Clary groaned and sat up, her head throbbing. She looked around. She was in a small, white, nondescript room with a somewhat tinted window that looked into another room on the far side of the wall.

The memories came flooding back. The Adsecula demon had shot up, straight through her bed in the Institute, fastening its slimy, slippery tentacles around her. She'd struggled and tried to scream, but another one of its tentacles was pressed firmly against her mouth, nearly choking her. Clary had been nearly powerless against the demon. Nearly. She'd managed to kick it in its lower abdominal area, making it release its grip on her. She'd run to the door, only to find it locked from the outside. _Jace, you idiot._ He'd locked her in so she wouldn't follow them. She cursed her own disobedience and whirled around, looking for something to use as a weapon. Her mind was slow and lethargic, still sleepy. Her limbs ached with soreness and she could feel the light scabs on her wounds tearing apart as she ran around, evading the demon, her own blood trickling down her body.

Clary wound up with a lamp in her hand, how it got there, she didn't remember. But what she did remember was chucking it at the demon, the lamp shattering over its head, the demon screaming. It picked her up and threw her against a wall. She remembered sliding down the wall, slumping on the ground, and being overcome by darkness.

And now here she was. She got up, slowly and wincing, and limped over to the window, which held the view of a bright blue room with lace blowing everywhere. Clary studied the bed closely and gasped. There, on the bed, fast asleep, was Vivien. The sheets were shoved to the bottom of the bed and the pillows were thrown haphazardly around the room. _Am I being held captive by Vivien? Is she the one who sent those demons?_

Clary pressed her nose against the window, searching desperately for some way out of the room. Her eyes landed on Vivien's sleeping form, the other girl's chestnut hair tangled and stuck to her back with sweat. Clary realized without shock that Vivien was naked. She wondered who the poor soul Vivien had dragged into bed was. Then she noticed Vivien clutching onto something. Clary squinted, trying to see what it was she was holding onto so tightly…and gasped again, her knees feeling weak. It was Jace's shirt. She knew because she'd bought him that shirt for no reason in particular one day. She'd been walking with Luke to pick something up for her mother in Manhattan and her eyes had landed on the shirt in a store window. Her immediate thought was about how good Jace would look in it. She'd asked Luke to lend her some money, which she used to buy the shirt instantly. She was still working to pay Luke back…the shirt had cost $50. And Jace had been so happy when she gave it to him. At first she thought he didn't like it, but then she realized his expression was not one of disgust, but one of incredulity. He couldn't believe she'd bought him something. And he didn't know what it had cost.

And now Vivien had it. A sick, twisted knot started forming in Clary's stomach. She turned away from the window and slumped to the floor, hugging her knees to her chest and staring unseeing at the floor. If Vivien had Jace's shirt…then that would mean that Vivien and Jace… Clary shook her head and craned her neck to look out the window again. They were still there. The blankets and pillows and Vivien. Clary wanted to throw up. She felt as if someone had somehow snuck a dagger into her heart, had somehow sliced her chest open without her noticing, and was now wickedly wrenching the dagger back and forth, each turn of the weapon hurting more and more as she realized what was going on.

Was that the real reason Jace had locked her up in her room? So she couldn't get out and see what he was doing? Had he sent the demon? Had he set up a fight between her and Vivien? Maybe he wasn't interested in her anymore…Vivien was definitely prettier…

Clary blinked and mentally slapped herself. Of course Jace had nothing to with…whatever happened. She knew Jace loved her. She'd had doubts once…and some of them still lingered…but even if he was interested in Clary anymore, she knew he would never have sex with Vivien voluntarily. She'd seen the way he'd looked at Vivien, with cold, yet fiery hatred in his eyes. Something was going on and Clary was going to find out.

**6 HOURS LATER**

Jace took out his stele and began filing his nails, something Clary had informed him he did when he was nervous. He didn't care. He knew he didn't look nervous. He was still Jace. Magnificent, marvelous Jace. Cocky, arrogant, calm, cool Jace. Traitorous Jace. Unfaithful Jace.

The words bounced around inside his head, taunting him. He began dragging the stele across his nails harder and faster, although they were already filed down to his fingertips. He was angry. Angry at Vivien, angry at Clary, angry at everyone, but most of all angry at himself. He hated himself. He should have ignored Vivien the moment he met her. Jace had known she'd be trouble. But he was Jace Wayland. He could handle everything…right? Apparently not.

"Your fingertips are getting bloody," a joltingly familiar voice said.

Jace winced and didn't look up. "What does it matter to you?"

Vivien sat across from him. "A lot, actually." She smirked at him from across the table. "You're pretty good in bed, you know that right?"

Jace felt like throwing up. He didn't say anything, just nodded his head. The stele was suddenly plucked from his hands and he finally looked at Vivien, fixing her with a glare. She had her little pager out and was stroking the red button thoughtfully. Jace's heart skipped a beat. He wanted nothing more than to kill her at that very moment. To send her back to where she belonged. To run back to Clary and hold her in his arms and beg for her forgiveness. To stroke her hair and kiss her forehead.

But no. He was stuck here, in this café, on a "date" with Vivien. They ordered and ate in silence, and Jace paid the bill. They walked out of the café, hand in hand. Vivien pulled something from her purse. The shirt Clary had given him a couple of weeks ago. Jace snatched it back from her angrily. "I was wondering where this had gone. I had to go home in my jacket because I couldn't find my damn shirt. But _you_ had it."

"I needed it," Vivien said vaguely, stroking the pager again.  
"What the hell would you need my shirt for? Cloning me? I know I'm pretty fantastic, but there is one me, and there only ever will be one me," he said maliciously.

Vivien smirked. "That's what you think."

Jace shrugged his shirt on and waved his hand at her. "I've got to go home. I need to do my…homework."

"Remember! No telling, or Clary's first child won't be yours! It will be an only child, too."

Vivien smiled to herself as she watched Jace's golden form retreat into the mess of New York streets.

**LATER THAT NIGHT**

"Do you think she saw?" the man asked, pacing across the room.

Vivien rolled her eyes. "Of course she did. I heard her fall against the wall in the little room."

The man grinned at her. "Good, good. You have done well, child. Nothing has happened yet…?"

"We've had sex once, Brent. Nothing yet."

Brent sighed. "It needs to happen soon, girl. The armies need leaders. Powerful leaders. One angelic, one demonic. You shall give me the angelic once, and Rocky will give me the demonic one."

Vivien swallowed. "But what if I can't?"

Brent shrugged. "Then I will not be pleased, Vivien. And you know what happens when I'm not pleased."

Vivien nodded stoically. "Yes, sir."

"Now get to work."

**OKAY. SO. Jace and Clary won't break up, don't worry. And Clary's obviously figured out that Jace and Vivien had sex, but she's not too angry, because she's SMART, GUYS and she figured something was up. She's a smart girl, don't worry. I think she was a little more in character this chapter, what do you think? And can you guys tell me if you figured out what Vivien is trying to do? I think I made it a little TOO obvious hahaha. Anyway. I'm on a roll, so you'll probably get two or three chapters next week. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. YOUR REVIEWS MAKE ME SOOOO HAPPY. TELL ME THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY. And to those of you who "hate" me…I love you too hahaha. You guys are all awesome. OH BTW. JUST FINISHED READING COLS FOR THE FIRST TIME. KIND OF DIED A FEW TIMES. Okay I'm really done now. REVIEW.**


	9. BONUS CHAPTER

**Hey guys! So this is the bonus chapter I said I might write. I made up my mind that I would write it when I hit 90 reviews and guess what? Today I got 90 reviews! *polite golf clap* You guys are going to make my ego soar into the clouds. "There are giants in the sky…" Oh wait, no, that's just Susanna's enormous ego. Hahaha, just kidding. I have four younger brothers always telling me I'm fat and ugly and I suck at singing! (Don't worry, it doesn't bother me. They're my brothers.) But yeah. This is some background information on that girl we all love to hate…Vivien.**

The sleet was blowing through the streets in horizontal sheets, blinding the woman clutching the baby in the blanket. She finally couldn't walk another step and huddled in the corner of someone's entryway, wrapping her threadbare cloak tightly around the sleeping bundle. The woman sneaked a look at her child. Closed little eyes with curling black lashes, a shimmering tuft of copper hair, a perfect little nose stub. The newborn's tiny hands were curled into fists and her lips were parted in the little oh of sleep. A tear trickled down the mother's cheek. She wiped it away impatiently and looked away from her daughter.

A light came on and the woman gasped, moving to get away. The door flew open, just as the mother was at the bottom of the steps, trying to shield herself from the weather. A woman with blue skin stood formidably at the top of the steps, an angry fire in her eyes. "How dare you take refuge on my doorstep, insolent mundane."

The woman was frozen with fear. "Come here," the blue-skinned woman bellowed, her sea green eyes flashing.

The woman obediently moved toward the homeowner, her arms wrapped around her child like a vice.

"What's in your arms?"

The mother only whimpered, burying the baby in her cloak.

"Speak!" the other woman demanded.

"I-I…she's…it's…my daughter. My child. Her father left me before she was born." Another tear slipped from her beautiful amber eyes.

The blue-skinned woman studied her for a few moments, and the mother was just about to turn and run into an alley where she might be safe when suddenly, the mother dropped to the ground, dead, the baby still in her arms.

The other woman approached the mother's limp form and retrieved the child from her arms. She looked at the terry cloth blanket, embroidered with one pink word. _Vivien_.

"Vivien, eh? Fitting name, for a child such as yourself."

Vivien yawned, revealing a tiny pink mouth, a small, heartbreaking cry emanated from her tiny vocal cords. The blue-skinned woman smiled. "I'm Momma Messalina. I'm a witch, darling girl. You'll be my daughter."

With that, she took the child into her home.

**SIX YEARS LATER**

Vivien sat at a chair in Messalina's dining room, dangling her short little legs and intently drawing something on a piece of paper. Messalina leaned over her adoptive daughter. She studied Vivien's messy drawing of a bunny rabbit, complete with a white, fluffy tail. She snatched a red crayon from the table, picking up Vivien's drawing and adding something to it. Vivien looked up at her mother with bright, eager eyes. "Are you helping me, Momma?"

Messalina looked at the little girl, whose carefree face bore no scars or blemishes. Her curly copper hair had turned auburn and was now in a ponytail, a pink bow fixed atop it. Messalina finished her handiwork and set it in front of Vivien, walking away.

In the kitchen she heard Vivien scream and start crying. "Momma! Momma, you ruined it!"

For Messalina had drawn sharp horns on the rabbit's head, blood dripping from its mouth, its eyes wide and black.

And so began Messalina's plan to corrupt this perfect mundane child. To poison this beautiful, earthly gem. Because no one deserved to be truly happy. And the world had a way of corrupting beautiful things. Vivien was no exception.

**DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN. If you have even the slightest pity for Vivien, then good. That's how I want it to be. *le smirk* I WANNA MAKE YOU ALL CONFUZZLED. Teeheehee. If you still hate Vivien, then GOOD. BECAUSE I DO TOO. AND I MADE HER UP. Anyway. Hope you enjoyed. R&R.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! I told you that you'd get a couple chapters this week. :) I have to warn you, this chapter was a little uncomfortable for me to write. And have no fear! The worst will be over soon. The whole raping thing is just a small part of the story. This is going to be a long fanfic... Anyway! Please don't think I'm too mean in this chapter. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW PLEEEEEEEEEEASE. I have three tests tomorrow...I procrastinated JUST for you guys! ;)**

Clary slowly peeled her eyes open, wondering if she was blind. No, not blind. Just in the dark. She groaned as she stretched her body, sore from the previous days "activities." She'd spent all day slamming her shoulder against a wall, trying to see if it would break down. But, of course, it didn't. She hadn't expected it to, but she'd needed something to do. Needed to feel like she wasn't wasting her time in this tiny cube of a room.

If only she had a stele. If only she could talk to Jace. If only—_Jace, _she thought. _He must feel awful._ Clary thought about when she and Jace had thought they were siblings. How sick and tired and malnourished he always looked. Just thinking about it made Clary feel nauseas. How was he faring now?

Clary sat bolt upright as she heard a thump. It was coming from the other side of the wall. _Thump, thump…thump…THUMP. _Her heart was racing, pounding so hard she thought it might leap out of her chest. _The demon is coming for me…it's coming…it's—_

"Jace!"

Her stomach dropped as she heard Vivien's exclamation. "That hurt! Be gentle…or the button gets pushed!"

Clary crawled to the window/mirror and peered out cautiously.

"That's better."

The room was dark, the windows shut, the curtains drawn. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she began to make out the shapes of Vivien's dresser, desk, nightstand, bed… _I can't see anything—Oh god… oh god, oh god, oh god._

She ducked back down, biting her lip and willing herself not to cry. Clary wrapped her arms around herself and curled up into a little ball, feeling numb. "He's doing this for me. He's doing this for me. I don't know what he's doing or why he's doing it, but he's doing it for me," she whispered.

This became her chant all through the night. She just lay there on the floor, in the fetal position, whispering it to herself over and over and over. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she heard Jace's voice. Clary couldn't help but feel relieved that he sounded unaffected, and she jumped up, running to the window.

The sun was peeking through the curtains, a strip of coppery orange light falling on Jace's golden head. He was buckling his belt and looking venomously at Vivien. Clary couldn't help but sigh with a little relief. So he really wasn't cheating on her. He seemed just as angry as she was, if not angrier. Jace pulled his tshirt on. "Once a week, Vivien. Maximum. I'm not doing any more than that."

Vivien sat up, pulling the blankets around her. She picked something slim and black up off of her nightstand and started stroking the top. Jace paled visibly, although his expression remained stoic. Vivien smirked. "Did you know, _Jacey_, that Adsecula is Latin for parasite?"

"If you harm a hair on Clary's head, you and your little demon will be dead before you can say 'Forgive me, for I know not what I have done.' Even if you did manage to say that… I'm not as compassionate as God."

Clary's legs felt weak.

Vivien's smile just widened. "Then you can be left to watch her become pregnant with a half demon child…and then you can watch it eat her from the inside out. You can watch her die…You can watch her—"

Vivien didn't finish what she was going to say. Jace had leapt on top of her, her back and head slamming against the bed, his knees pinning her arms to the mattress, his face getting very close to hers. "_Shut. Up._ You're damn well lucky I don't know where she is. Wherever you've got her trapped. Because if I did, you'd be dead by now, you got that? You better watch your back, mundane. Because I hate you. And you don't want to make enemies with me. If you press that button, I will hunt you down and make the rest of your pathetic life so miserable, you'll wish you'd never been born. Do you understand?" He ranted, his voice getting louder with each sentence.

Clary's eyes were wide. Jace was powerful, she knew that. He loved her, she knew that also. But she hadn't known how far he'd be willing to go to save her…She hadn't known exactly how much he cared about her. Her mind flashed back to the day she and Vivien had fought in the school yard. The way Jace had looked at her. That wasn't the look a casual boyfriend gave you. That wasn't the look your own brother or father gave you. Simon had never given her that look. Only Jace. _Only Jace._ That was the answer, wasn't it? Clary thought of her heart having a special box, and only one thing could unlock it. _Only Jace._

Vivien stared into Jace's eyes defiantly for a few moments before replying in a whisper, "I already wish that."

The fire went out of Jace's eyes and he got off of her, picking up his jacket and stalking out the door, slamming it behind him. Vivien watched him go. After he was gone, she slipped a glass vial of something into her desk drawer, dressing herself quickly and throwing open the door to Clary's miniature prison. "Get out here," she snarled.

Clary walked slowly out of the room, where Vivien shoved her onto the bed. Disgusted, Clary leapt off of it, wrinkling her nose and sitting instead on the floor, feeling sick. Vivien laughed. "I take it you saw the whole thing?"

Clary didn't answer. She tried to copy Jace's stoic expression, staring at Vivien impassively. Vivien smirked, playing with the ends of her hair. "That was the fourth time," she bragged. She leaned down, so their noses almost touched. "How many times have you slept with him? None?"

Clary glared at her, pushing the other girl away with both hands. "Maybe we haven't had sex yet. But that's okay, because I'd rather spend my life bound to Jace but not able to sleep with him than to have sex for the heck of it, like a whore. Like _you._"

Vivien's eyes lit with rage. She grabbed a small glass figurine from her dresser. "You're going to pay for that."

The last thing Clary saw before she blacked out, was a golden angel slamming into her forehead, and blood exploding into her eyes.

**Just in case I wasn't clear enough, the "golden angel" is the glass figurine. It's about eight centimeters tall. Just an FYI. THANKS TO ALL WHO REVIEW. I LOVE YOU ALL YOU MAKE MY DAY. NOW GO REVIEW SOME MORE! 3**


	11. Chapter 10

**Well hai dere. You guys really liked that last chapter, wow. I'm surprised. It's really funny, because the chapters I think I'm going to get a lot reviews on get like 2 reviews and then the ones that I write and I'm like "Everyone's going to hate this chapter. They're going to hate me for writing this chapter," gets like a million reviews. So yeah, thanks to ALL of you who have reviewed. Huge thanks to those who get really emotional and do things like threaten me, and tell me they hate me, and they all HATE VIVIEN and want to throw their computers at the wall. I just sit there and literally laugh at all of your reviews. They really make my day, I can't tell you guys enough. Anyway. This story is FAR from over. The whole Vivien/Rocky thing is really only a small part of the story. I'm thinking about splitting the story into multiple fanfics. Like a trilogy or something. What do you think? Anyway. Enjoy! :) **

Jace picked at his belt buckle, walking through the darkened halls of the Institute to his bedroom. He needed a way out. If only he knew where Clary was, he could find her, rescue her, kill Vivien, and beg for Clary's forgiveness. She would probably hate him when she found out. He wouldn't blame her. But he'd have to win her back, he knew that. Somehow, he'd have to get her to love him again. If she hated him for the rest of his life…he couldn't imagine anything worse than that.

He pushed the door open and walked into his room.

"Jace…"

He knew that voice. His head jerked up, staring incredulously, and he let the door close behind him. There she was, sitting on his bed, unharmed, wearing jeans, purple sneakers, and a yellow sweater. Clary.

Jace was by her side in an instant, kneeling in front of her. "Clary. By the Angel, Clary I'm so sorry. I swear, I had no idea that she—"

Clary took his hand in hers. "Shh. I don't have much time, Jace."

He looked up at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

She knelt in front of him, pushing the hair back from his eyes gently. "I mean you're dreaming."

"Then how are you here?"

Clary smiled sadly. "Vivien had this great idea to use a decorative angel as a missile."

"The target?"

She pointed to a wound that had suddenly appeared on her head. It was gushing blood and she was holding a small piece of something golden in her palm. "My head."

Jace pulled her to him, examining her head. "Clary! By the Angel, I'll kill her, I swear, I—"

Clary wriggled out of his grip, looking a little panicked. "Jace. Quiet, I need to talk to you and I don't have much time. The angel she threw at me was made of the same stuff a stele is made of. It let me draw a rune, so I could appear in your dream."

"What are you talking about? Clary, that shouldn't be—"

"Possible, I know. Neither should your powers. Neither should mine. Anyway. I need to tell you that I know what Vivien's doing."

Jace's face fell. "I…I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry."

"Jace, you have nothing to be sorry for. You were protecting me. That's what people do when they love each other, no matter what they have to do."

He put his face in her hands. "I know…but I still feel—"

"_Jace_," she said, gritting her teeth. "I know this isn't what you want to hear, but _I_ _would have done the same exact thing for you._"

His breath hitched. She was right. He hadn't wanted to hear that. The thought of her voluntarily giving herself up like that made him feel sick. He sighed. "At least you're somewhere where you don't have to see any of…it."

Jace watched as Clary turned pale. "Actually," she said. "You know that mirror?"

He nodded, realization dawning on him like the sun peeking over the horizon.

"It's a one-way window. So…I can see and hear everything. I'm trapped in a room just behind it."

Jace wanted to throw up. He didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. He couldn't imagine being trapped in a room, listening to Clary and some random guy having sex, unable to escape the situation.

Clary touched his face gently. "It's okay, Jace. It's okay. I'm not mad at you at all. I just…it would be really nice if you came and got me, you know, now that you know where I am."

Jace looked at her, hatred burning in his eyes. "I will. And then I'm going to kill her. I'm going to kill Vivien."

Clary nodded at him, standing up. He stood up in front of her, grasping onto her shoulders, unwilling to let her go. Clary wrapped her fingers around his wrists. "I'm sorry, Jace. I have to go. You need to wake up now. Come find me. Please come find me."

Her image was beginning to waver. He panicked. "No, Clary. Don't go! Don't go…please." His voice broke. He hadn't realized exactly how much he'd missed her.

She noticed his please and he saw her face soften. Clary stood on tiptoe and kissed him softly. "I'll see you soon, Jace."

Jace woke up, gasping. He looked around. He was slumped outside of his bedroom door, on the floor, sweat dripping down his forehead. Remembering his dream, he immediately went to the weapons room and began loading his leather jacket with every weapon he knew how to use.

**AN HOUR LATER**

Jace knocked on Vivien's bedroom door, crossing his arms. The door cracked open a little as Vivien's sleepy eye peered at Jace. "Jace? What are you doing here?"

He pushed the door open, stepping inside and closing it. Vivien watched him warily, returning to her bed. "Come back for more, have you?" she smirked.

He shook his head. "No. I came to get my stuff, actually."

Vivien raised a perfectly waxed eyebrow. "Your stuff? I already gave you your shirt back." She crossed her arms.

Jace took out a seraph blade, pointing it at her and whispering its name, watching her face turn pale in the glow of the blade. "_All_ of my stuff."

Vivien pulled the black pager out of her bra. "You touch me, I press the button. I won't tell you anything, Jace. We've already been through this."

"I know where she is. She's behind that mirror, passed out. You are going to hand me that pager and I am going to retrieve my girlfriend. And then, as promised, I will kill you." He moved toward her, pressing the tip of the blade to her throat, causing her to wince. "Or maybe I'll just kill you first. I told you I would kill you as soon as I got the chance." He bared his teeth. "Well, here's my chance."

Vivien's finger hovered over the red button. "Yes, you're correct. Clary is behind that mirror. But so is Rocky. If I press this button, he'll be on top of her in two minutes, and then you'll have no choice but to listen to her scream as he has his way with her."

Jace smirked at her. "All I have to do is kill him. I've killed quite a few demons in my short, glorious lifetime."

Vivien returned his smirk. "There's one problem. In order to kill a demon, you have to stab its heart. An Adsecula demon's heart is in its…reproductive organs. So if I press this button, in order to kill the demon, you'd have to hurt Clary too. Maybe even kill her. So either way, she dies."

Jace glared at her, his smirk being replaced by a thin, angry line.

Vivien moved a fraction of a millimeter toward him, letting the sword cut into her skin, drawing blood. "However. If you put your happy little Shadowhunter sword down, I will show you how to get Clary out."

Jace put his sword down. "Now show me how to get her out, or this blade goes right back to your throat."

Vivien shook her head. "No. Not until you swear an oath not to harm me."

Jace almost screamed aloud in frustration. He grit his teeth. "Fine. I swear, as a Shadowhunter, on the Angel Raziel, to never hurt you."

Vivien smirked, walking over to the wall and opening a hidden panel in the wall. Jace rushed inside and found Clary, lying in a pool of her own blood, on the floor, directly under the window mirror. His breath caught and he rushed to her, picking her up in his arms. She was fragile looking. Something gold gleamed in her hand. The shard of the angel. He smiled at her, even though she was unconscious. Standing up, he turned to Vivien, who was blocking the door. "Now move. I promised I wouldn't hurt you. But that doesn't mean I can't tell the Clave about what you've done. And I don't think they'll be very thrilled with you."

Vivien stepped aside, letting Jace out and shutting the door. "What makes you think you're leaving?"

Jace laughed. "I'm leaving. I make my own decisions."

"That's what you think," she whispered.

A sudden alarm sounded, Jace tightened his grip on Clary, whirling around to face Vivien, whose thumb was pressed down on that hated red button. Jace laughed again. "I have Clary in my arms. You can't do anything."

Rocky burst out of the room he'd been imprisoned in with Clary, never allowed to touch her, and only allowed to see her. Vivien snapped her fingers and Clary disappeared from Jace's arm, reappearing on the bed. Jace whipped his seraph blade out, realizing what Vivien had done. Rocky was kneeling over Clary within ten seconds, and Jace found himself blocked by Vivien. He pointed his sword at her. "Move."

"You know, I don't think I will."

Jace heard the sound of tearing fabric. He didn't have much time. Despair welled up in his chest. "Vivien. _Move."_

A small, helpless whimper came from behind Vivien, sounding almost like a puppy had been kicked. Clary must have gained some consciousness. Jace took three steps back and leapt over Vivien, slicing into the demon's heart before it could finish ripping off Clary's jeans. The demon screamed and folded in on itself, leaving Jace panting next to Vivien's bed. Clary's eyes fluttered open. "Jace…" she whispered hoarsely. "You came for me. You remembered."

Jace swallowed hard and nodded. "Of course I did. I love you. Why wouldn't I?" He paused, drinking her in. "Are you okay?"

Clary winced, sitting up. "I think so. I put an iratze on my forehead when I used the angel shard to contact you. I'm just a little sore. I-!"

Clary's sentence ended in a little yelp of surprise as Vivien used black magic to drag her off the bed and into Vivien's arms. Vivien had a knife pressed against Clary's throat. "One more step, Wayland, and she's dead."

Jace froze.

"That was a very touching scene, but I think—"

The door suddenly blew inward, causing Jace to duck and Vivien, still holding Clary tightly, jumped back, the knife going askew and cutting into Clary's arm. Clary cried out in pain and Jace's heart contracted.

Magnus and Alec came billowing in, Magnus's hands crackling with blue electricity and Alec with an arrow fixed at Vivien's head. "Drop her," Alec said imperatively

Vivien looked from Jace to Alec to Magnus and back to Jace again. A sudden smirk plastered itself on Vivien's face. Clary suddenly screamed and Jace looked at her, scanning her body until…until his eyes rested on the dagger protruding from Clary's lower abdominal area. Vivien pushed Clary toward a shocked Jace, who caught her and landed on his knees.

Magnus and Alec rushed over to Jace, kneeling in front of him. They all turned around when they heard Vivien scream.

Isabelle was sitting on top of the other girl, her golden whip wrapped around one wrist. Isabelle leaned over and got in Vivien's face, snarling. "Jace may have sworn an oath not to kill you…but I haven't. You tried to interfere with love, familial _and _romantic. And that's not exactly okay with me."

Isabelle stood up, and, quick as a flash, wrapped her whip around Vivien's neck and snapped it. Vivien immediately dropped where she was, her head twisted at an irregular angle. Isabelle let her whip drop and she moved over to where everyone else was sitting around Clary, who was staring at Jace.

Jace stroked her hair. "You're going to be okay. You're fine. You're okay." His voice broke a little.

Clary squeezed his hand. "Jace…if I die—"

"No!" Jace shouted. "No, Clary. You can't leave me," he said desperately.

"Jace. I love you. I always have. Let me go."

"No." He repeated. "No no no. I'll never let you go, Clary. They say that if you let someone go, if it's truly meant to be, then they'll come back to you." He held onto her hand tightly. "Clary. Clarissa. If I ever let you go, even if you did come back…I would never ever get the time you were gone back. Stay with me. Please," he begged.

A tear spilled down Clary's cheek. Magnus chuckled, and everyone turned to him in surprise. "You guys done yet?" he asked coolly.

Alec smacked his boyfriend on the arm. "Magnus! I cannot believe you just said that. She's dying and you…_you_ have the _nerve_—"

Magnus interrupted him. "You're Shadowhunters, for God's sake. She has a mortal weapon in her _stomach._ Take it out and put a damn iratze on the girl."

Everyone stared at him. It was Isabelle who broke out of her stupor first, pulling the dagger out quickly, causing Clary to cry out again and curl in around her wound. Jace took out his stele and drew an iratze on her exposed stomach. Already, the wound had formed a scab. Jace kissed Clary's forehead. "I suppose I should thank Magnus?" he asked her.

Clary nodded, wrapping her arms around Jace's neck and laying her head on his shoulder. Jace wrapped his arms tightly around her and looked at Magnus before saying two words that one rarely heard come out of his perfect mouth. "Thank you."

**Awe yay! A happy ending…to this chapter. More to come, I promise. AND SO ENDS THE FIRST SEGMENT OF THIS BOOK. I'm going to keep it all in one story here, so that people don't get confused and they can read from the beginning. But yeah. That was part one. WE HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN TO THE BEST PARTS YET GUISE. SO STAY TUNED, CAUSE THE SHADOWHUNTERS WILL BE GOING BACK TO THE HIGHSCHOOL. Teeheehee. You guys should give me yur ideas! What do YOU think should happen next? And what did you like and/or not like about this chapter? I would love to know!**


	12. Chapter 11 PART II

**Hey guys! So sorry I haven't updated in a couple weeks. Junior year has me **_**swamped**_**. Ugh. Anyway. I'm starting on Part II now and I'm pretty excited for this part because we'll see a lot more of Magnus and quite a bit of demon fighting ;) Please REVIEW! It means so much to me when you guys do! *le heart***

Clary held on tightly to Jace's hand as they walked along the sidewalk leading up to St. Xavier's. Clary had been in recovery for the past two weeks and had finally been allowed to go to school. She'd begged Jace to let her go, told him she was fine and he didn't need to worry about her. But he'd sat with her while she was in bed nearly all day every day.

Now she was finally allowed to go to school. They didn't have to worry about Vivien, but Clary was still on edge. She felt like she was being too possessive over Jace, but, from the looks of it, he was enjoying it entirely way too much.

They turned onto the path that led up to the front doors, Isabelle and Simon linking hands, Magnus and Alec linking hands, and Clary and Jace linking hands. Covert glances and hushed voices followed them around the school yard, making Clary even more nervous. Now they were attracting attention. Clary glanced around at her friends. She and Simon were the only ones dressed like actual high schoolers. Isabelle and Alec were in all black and leather and Jace…well, Clary ended up having to get down on her knees and beg him not to wear _any _Shadowhunter gear.

Isabelle, Simon, Alec and Magnus entered the school, but Jace pulled her back, drawing her to the side of the school. "What?" Clary asked, automatically looking for any sign of danger.

Jace noticed her reaction and chuckled. "Relax. I just wanted to talk to you alone," he said, bending over and kissing her softly between her eyes.

She looked up at him. "Did you actually want to speak to me, or…?"

"Yeah, actually, I did." He grinned. "Although, we could do other things…Then the whole school would know that you belong with me," he said in a low voice, brushing her ear with his lips.

Clary shivered and pushed him away. "Talk," she tried smirking at him the way she'd seen Isabelle smirk at Simon.

Jace raised an eyebrow and the corner of his mouth twitched up in amusement. "What in Raziel's name are you doing? You look constipated or something. You need any help going to the bathroom? Because I, for one, would certainly _love _to—"

Clary scowled and clamped her hand over his mouth, effectively silencing him. His golden eyes danced with laughter and she suddenly felt like she was going to fall into them. "Now will you talk normally?" she asked, keeping her hand over his mouth.

Jace nodded and grabbed her wrist, bringing it down effortlessly. He pressed her hand between his palms and studied her face. "I just wanted to tell you that you shouldn't worry about any of those other girls. We defeated Vivien together, right? We could take down the world together, Clary. You and I."

He pulled her closer to him and kissed the top of her head. She closed her eyes and leaned into him, breathing in his scent and moving her hands so that their palms were pressed together. "I know," she replied. "If the world even tried to take us out…it would have to take us out together."

Jace only nodded. He laid his cheek on her hair and held her tightly to his chest, almost to the point where she felt like her bones might break. Clary didn't care. He could have snapped her body in half and she wouldn't have cared. All that mattered was the fact that Jace was holding onto her. A few weeks ago she wouldn't even have dared to dream about this. The memories of thinking he was her brother came flooding into her mind and she suddenly couldn't get enough of Jace.

She lifted her head up and kissed Jace's chin. He leaned down and their lips crashed together, Clary's arms twining around his neck and her fingers threading through his blond hair. Jace stroked her hair with one hand, his other hand pressing on the small of her back, pulling her into him. His tongue swept inside her mouth and Clary gasped a little. Jace smirked against her lips and continued kissing her.

"Ahem!"

Clary and Jace jumped away from each other. A teacher stood, tapping her foot and crossing her arms. "PDA's, both of you." She handed them two pink slips.

"I expect that to be signed and returned tomorrow, or you will have three hours of after school detention." With a huff, she disappeared into the building, leaving Jace and Clary to look at their little papers in slight bewilderment.

Jace was the first to start laughing. "I don't think I've ever gotten reprimanded for kissing someone."

Clary smiled at him wryly. "Welcome to high school."

"So, who do we get this signed by?" he asked, shoving it in the front pocket of his backpack.

Clary folded it and tucked it into her pocket, slipping her hand into Jace's. "Our parents."

Jace nodded as they began walking to the door. "Ah. Well. My mother won't care. Maryse is used to…me." He blinked. "But the true question of the matter is…what will _your_ mother say?"

Clary shrugged, kicking the school door open and pulling Jace into the foyer. "Nothing good, I can tell you that much right now. Don't expect to be helping me train for a while," she said.

Jace looked around warily. "I can understand where she's coming from." He looked at her seriously.

"Our children aren't dating until they're thirty. Not if they're going to do the things we do."

Clary looked at him, surprised he had mentioned them having kids, then burst out laughing. Jace smiled. "Well, it's true."

Clary shook her head, still grinning. "How about twenty?"

Jace pretended to think about it. "Hmmm…25."

"22?"

"23."

"23 it is then. Our poor children…" Clary laughed again, shaking her head.

"Poor?" Jace asked, feigning horror. He wagged his finger at her. "Tut, tut, Clary. How could you say such a thing? You can't possibly be a poor child when you're half angel. They should be grateful to us for even deciding to give them life."

Clary shook her head, still smiling from ear to ear. It was times like this when she was the happiest. The simple banter she and Jace had with each other. The hand holding. The jokes. This was one of her favorite parts of being with him.

And she had him all to herself. Forever, she knew.

**Why hello again! Hope you liked this fluffy chapter. It was kind of a relief from all the drama in the previous section, huh? I had fun writing it. :) REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. I MIGHT WRITE ANOTHER MORE INTENSE CHAPTER IF I GET A LOT OF REVIEWS ;) **


	13. Chapter 12

**Hi guys! Wow, 153 reivews! That's CRAZY. I remember my old days of being like "Oh gosh, this isn't even gonna get 20 reviews, I bet." But yeah, I love you all SO much and I couldn't keep writing this without your guys' encouragement. So this chapter is mostly fluff, it's kind of a filler. I needed it in order to get to the next chapter. :) So I hope you enjoy the make-out sess. ;) Also, if you guys could check out my other fanfics, I would greatly appreciate it. They have about 20 reviews each and they need some love. And I just came up with another idea for another fanfic, so stay tuned for that one coming up soon! I might even post the first chapter to it. If you want the summary, just ask for it in a review and I will PM you :) Enjoy! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW :)**

Clary twirled her pencil in her hair, biting her lip and staring at the board uncomprehendingly. _What the hell is this?_ she thought, in reference to the circle of radians drawn in blue marker. Whatever it was, it certainly wouldn't help her become a Shadowhunter. And if it wasn't helping her with her training, what was the point?

There was no point.

She sighed and glanced at Jace, who was leaning back in his chair and staring out the window. Clary bent her head over her notebook and began drawing. Her drawing wasn't really anything specific at first, but soon it turned into a beautifully shaded field of flowers, their lost petals dancing in the sky on the breeze, the sun shining brightly on the little black and white buds.

"That's beautiful," someone whispered.

Clary nearly jumped out of her seat, but she managed to remain calm and turn to the person who had spoken. Leo. Clary smiled faintly, her heart still pounding in her ears. She'd thought he was Vivien. "Ah…well, thank you."

Leo nodded. "If you ever need help with math, just let me know, okay? I'm always available," he said awkwardly.

Clary couldn't help but feel bad for him. He was an awkward kid, with glasses and a love for comic books, and had probably never even touched a girl before, much less had a girlfriend. She nodded. "Alright, I will. Thanks." She smiled wider and turned back to her drawing, biting her lip.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Leo's blush…and Jace's glare. _Oh no,_ she thought. Was Jace really jealous? The idea seemed ridiculous to Clary, but…this was Jace. Jace would beat up anyone who accidentally brushed their hand against her hair. Clary made a mental note to avoid Leo…or any other guy, for that matter.

The bell rang and Leo tripped out of the room, waving Clary as he went, his glasses askew. She felt a brief stab of pain. He looked like Max. He looked just like Max would have, if Ma had been given the chance to grow up. Jace put his hand on her shoulder, looking at her with concern. "Are you okay? If that guy's been messing around with you, just tell me and I'll—"

"No, no, Jace. It's okay. He wasn't messing with me, he just…he told me my drawing was pretty and offered me math help."

"Then why do you look like someone just punched you in the stomach? Are you on your period or something?"

Clary finally took her eyes away from where Leo had disappeared and glared at Jace. "_No_. I am _not _on my period, I just—"

"Because your attitude and tone of voice begs to differ," Jace said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Clary pushed him away and walked out of the room. It didn't even take him five seconds to catch up with her. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you mad," he mumbled behind her, catching her hand.

She didn't let go, just held on tighter, thinking of Leo and Max. "It's fine. I just…he…Leo, that is…he reminds me of Max. He looks like him, especially with the glasses and the comic book that's always in his hand."

Clary felt Jace tense next to her. "I'm sorry," she said, looking at her feet. "I shouldn't have said that."

Jace shook his head. "No. It's fine. And he does look like Max, which is why we should avoid him. Because then I might start thinking he-he is Max. And then where would we be?"

"In trouble," Clary said, matter-of-factly.

Jace nodded again. Clary regretted telling him that she thought Leo looked like Max. His shoulders were hunched over as they walked and he looked like he'd spaced out. She sighed and squeezed his hand comfortingly. He squeezed hers in return.

**LATER**

Clary, Jace, Simon, Isabelle, Magnus and Alec all stood in a group outside the doors of the bathrooms, everyone but Magnus and Simon holding Shadowhunter's gear in their arms. Simon and Magnus had simple, flexible black clothes draped over their shoulders. "All right," Isabelle said, pressing her shoulder into Simon's.

Jace scowled at Simon. Clary pulled him closer to her. Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Clary, Magnus and I will go into the girls' bathroom to change, and boys, you can obviously go in the boys restroom."

Simon blinked. "How come Magnus gets to go with the girls?"

"Yeah, I thought _I _was the only one privileged enough to look at Clary," Jace added.

Clary blushed and Magnus leaned into Jace, who didn't even flinch. "No, _you're _the only one who gets to do her. The rest of us, at least, can admire the view."

Clary felt herself turn even redder. "Jace does not _do _me. We've never even…" she paused, searching for the right way. "Yeah. Let's just leave it at that."

Jace smirked at Magnus. "Yeah. That just proves that if anyone here should be complaining, it's me. And possibly Clary. You and Alec probably screw each other every day."

Alec turned red. Isabelle pulled Magnus away from Jace and fixed her brother with a glare. "Do we really have to have this conversation right now? Clary looks like a tomato and Alec is about to unravel his sweater."

Jace shot Isabelle a look. "Don't act all innocent, Iz. Who knows what you do to poor Simon every day?"

Isabelle shoved Jace over. "Say it again and you'll regret it."

Jace raised his eyebrows, the corner of his mouth quirked up in amusement. "Oh I will, will I?"

Clary caught Jace's hand and pulled him away as Simon came up and wrapped his arm around Isabelle's shoulders. "Okay. It doesn't matter which bathroom you go into. Let's just go change," she said, half wanting Jace to change with her.

They all nodded and Jace and Clary watched as Simon, Isabelle, Alec and Magnus all went into the guys bathroom. Jace smirked at Clary. "Oh darn. Now we have a whole bathroom to ourselves," he said, pulling Clary through the other door.

Clary backed up against the far wall, knowing that she was so worked up she'd come undone if Jace so much as touched her. "Jace," she said warningly. "We really do have to change. We have to clear the nest out."

Jace put his hand on the wall above her and leaned against it, towering over her. She nearly dropped her gear. "Jace, I—"

Jace effectively silenced her by pressing his lips to hers. Clary wrapped her arms around his neck, the Shadowhunter gear forgotten on the floor, and pulled him closer. He made a noise in the back of his throat and folded her into him, making her legs feel like they were about to give out. She kissed him back, harder this time, threading her fingers through his hair.

There was nothing else but this. They hadn't kissed like this since before Vivien attacked. Clary hadn't realized how empty she'd been feeling, how fast the desperate hole in her heart had been growing, even when Vivien was gone and her fear of Rocky was eliminated. But now, now Jace was filling it up with his kisses.

She moved her hands down his back, making him shudder, and bunched his shirt up into her fists, clinging onto him for dear life, it seemed. Jace moved his own hands down her sides, pressing them on her hips. He pushed her against the wall, putting his hands under her legs and lifting her up higher so that she was eye level with him. Clary wrapped her legs around his waist and let him press hard against her. She wrapped her arms back around his neck and sucked on his bottom lip.

Jace had one hand pressed against the small of her back, his other hand slipping under the hem of her loose, bright blue tshirt and warming her stomach. She gasped a little as he moved his hands up under her bra and kissed her neck. "I love you Clary," he whispered hoarsely.

"I love you too," she replied, breathless. "Jace," she said. "We're in a bathroom."

Taking her hint, Jace carried her over to the sink and sat her down, pulling her shirt off and kissing her collarbones gently. Clary frowned and tugged his shirt off. Better. She ran her fingers up and down his back, trying not to pant as he kissed the top of her chest. She shivered as he moved his hands up her back, his fingers fumbling with her bra clasp.

At that moment, the door flew open. "Hey are you guys—" Isabelle gasped and slapped her hand over her eyes. "Ahhhh!" she screamed. "I should've known better than to walk in a bathroom where you guys were alone!"

Clary flushed and quickly hooked her bra back together, pushing Jace out of the way, hopping off the sink, and picking a black tank top up from her pile of gear on the floor, tugging it on over her hair. Jace smirked at Isabelle and pulled his own black shirt on, shaking his hair out of his eyes. "You could've knocked, you know. It's a wonderful invention, I don't know if you've heard of it. A long time ago when people had sex all the time, they—"

"We'll be out in a minute, Iz. Sorry," Clary interrupted.

Isabelle left, mumbling something about getting a room and strangulation. Jace turned back to Clary, still smirking. "That was nice."

Clary nodded, feeling flushed. They finished dressing in their gear. Clary was having trouble clipping on the flexible leather armor and Jace, already done, came to her aid. "Here, let me," he said in a low voice, his lips brushing her ear.

Clary clenched her hands into fists to keep herself from shuddering and stood still while Jace hooked her gear together, his hand lingering on her back. She moved away from him and pulled her hair up into a ponytail, scowling at herself in the mirror. How could Jace think _that_ was beautiful?

She turned around to look at him and paused. He was watching her with a mixture of awe and longing, and it made her stomach flutter. Jace smiled genuinely, that smile that he only ever showed her. "You look like a real Shadowhunter, Clary. You look beautiful."

Clary smiled back and slipped her hand into his, their fingers automatically meshing together. "Thanks," she replied. "You don't look so bad yourself."

They joined the others outside, ignoring their knowing looks. "So," Jace said. "Where's the nest?"

Alec pulled out his Sensor. "Why don't we each take a Sensor and split up into teams of two? That way we can cover more hallways in a shorter amount of time. Clary do you still have a cell phone?"

Clary nodded. "So does Simon."

"So do I," Magnus admitted.

Alec turned to look at his boyfriend. "You do?"

Magnus nodded. "I didn't want a landline, but I had to have some form of communication with the mundane world, so I bought myself an iPhone." He pulled it from his pocket and wiggled it in the air.

Isabelle pursed her lips. "And no couples. We'll never get anything done. Those two couldn't even get dressed," she said, jerking her thumb to where Clary and Jace were standing.

Clary blushed and moved away from Jace. "Isabelle and I can be a pair," she said.

Isabelle nodded and looked at the four boys. Magnus scowled at her. "I'm not pairing with anyone except Alexander."

"Come on Magnus. It's just for one day. Just like…maybe three hours. Can't you stand to be apart for that long?"

Magnus's frown deepened. "Either I'm with Alexander, or you can count me out. No help for you."

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Fine. Alec and Magnus are a team, which means, Simon and Jace, you guys are the other team. Now each team has a cell phone, and if we get into trouble, we can call for help."

They all nodded. Clary clasped her hands together. "See you all later."

With that, they split up, Clary and Isabelle walking cautiously down one hallway, Magnus and Alec running down the other, and Jace and Simon practically shoving each other up the stairs on their way to the second floor.

**Soooooo, what'd you guys think? REVIEW. Hahaha you must be tired of me saying that. Anyway. So in AP Composition, we're writing a process paper on the evils of money, and I volunteered to have my paper corrected in front of the class on the Doc Cam. What a nightmare. Oh my goodness. She ripped my paper apart. Not literally, metaphorically. Like, she marked it all up and basically told me I'm a failure. XD Okay maybe she didn't actually say that, but it felt like it hahaha. Anyway. I'm a lot better at creative writing. Stay tuned for the next chappie! If you have ANY IDEAS please TELL THEM TO ME. I LOVE YOUR GUYS' IDEAS.**


	14. Chapter 13

**Another two weeks gone. Sheesh. I feel like I just wrote the last chapter. But sorry for the late update/ Junior year is very busy and taxing. BUT I ONLY HAVE TWO B'S RIGHT NOW. THE REST ARE A'S. For the win. Anyway, to those of you who are also following **_**The Girl from the Dream**_** (which is the entire book of City of Bones from Jace's POV) I FINALLY posted chapter six and it's four thousand words long. If you guys haven't read it yet, please check it out and review! It's actually my favorite one out of all the TMI fanfics I've written and it's got 31 reviews. Woo! Anyway. Enjoy this chappie :)**

Clary and Isabelle tiptoed down the hallway, Clary's seraph blade lying dormant in her palm, but ready, and Isabelle's whip trailing behind her on the floor without a sound. "What exactly are we looking for?" Clary asked in a low voice, glancing at Isabelle and attempting (without much success) to copy her cat-like crouch while they walked.

"Demons," Isabelle said matter of factly.

Clary stopped and straightened up, looking at Isabelle disdainfully. "Thank you Captain Obvious."

Isabelle didn't even look at Clary. She just kept walking. "You're welcome Sergeant Sarcasm."

Clary rolled her eyes and caught up with Isabelle. "Did Jace teach you that one?" she asked, her voice heavy with disapproval for her boyfriend.

Isabelle smirked. "No, actually. Simon did."

Clary furrowed her brow, making a mental note to give Jace permission to "challenge the bloodsucker to a duel of the heavenly versus the damned." They continued walking through the halls silently. All the lights were off and Clary felt like there was a certain pressure from the outside, like two hands squeezing a balloon until it pops. She wondered when the balloon would pop.

They turned a corner and the smell hit them like a wall. Clary actually staggered backwards, pulling her sleeve up over her hand and covering her nose. "By the Angel! What the hell _is _that smell?"

Isabelle wrinkled her nose, running ahead and turning another corner. Clary heard her yelp and she ran to see what had made Isabelle call out, almost falling into the gaping pit in the floor. She stopped abruptly and looked around wildly. "Isabelle?" she yelled. "Isabelle where are you?"

"I'm down here!"

Clary peered into the hole, gasping when she saw Isabelle barely clinging to the edge. "Isabelle!" she cried.

Isabelle glared at her. "A little help here?"

Clary dropped down and wrapped her hands around Isabelle's wrists, pulling her up out of the hole. "God, Isabelle, if you'd wear less accessories this would be a hell of a lot easier," she grunted as Isabelle clambered away from the pit.

Isabelle stood up and brushed herself off. "Yeah, and then if we ran into a demon, where would we be without my marvelous accessories?" she asked sarcastically, jingling an anklet made of blessed iron.

Clary sighed and pulled her seraph blade back out, whispering its name and watching it spring to life. She walked to the edge of the hole, gagging at the smell, and looked into the blackness. "Is this the nest?"

Isabelle flicked her whip. "No…at least, I don't think so." She tossed her loose hair over her shoulder. "We'd have run into at least one guard by now."

Clary pursed her lips and studied the hole. "So…what is it?"

At that precise moment, Simon came sprinting around the corner, looking whiter than a ghost…or a vampire…whiter than he normally did… Clary raised her eyebrows. "Where's Jace?"

Isabelle crossed her arms. "Simon you look like a vampire," she said, her mouth twisting up into a smile.

Simon shook his head. "Jace…captive…run…" he panted.

Clary felt her heart drop into her stomach and she glanced at Isabelle, who was now the same color as Simon. Isabelle walked over to her boyfriend and gripped his shoulders. "Calm down. Say it more slowly. It sounded like you said Jace is being held captive."

Simon took a deep breath and nodded. "We found it. The demon's nest, I mean. And Jace, the idiot he is, went straight into it, like a burning angel. He fought them off for about ten minutes before they over powered him. Now they're holding him as a sort of prisoner. A bargaining tool to make us go away and stop hunting them down."

Clary shoved Isabelle out of the way and turned Simon to face her. "Where is he, Simon?"

Simon shook his head. "First of all, I'm not letting you get hurt. No way, no how. Not after everything everyone on this planet has done to keep you safe. Second of all, Jace would kill me if you walked into there alone. In fact, he'd kill me if he knew you were still in this building. He told me to tell you and Isabelle to get out and let us guys handle it."

Clary wasn't listening by that point. She'd let go of Simon and turned to run away to find Jace, when Simon grabbed her wrist. Isabelle promptly stomped on Simon's foot with her five inch boot heel, causing Simon to yell and hop back, thus freeing Clary. Clary sprinted down the hallway where she'd seen Jace and Simon go up the stairs. Once on the second level, she began to tiptoe across the floor.

The hall was eerily silent. Not a sound. Not even the slightest indication that a single demon could possibly inhabit the place. Clary pulled her seraph blade out and whispered its name, watching it come to life. She turned the corner…and saw Jace, unconscious on the floor and lying in an alarming pool of blood.

**I was going to keep writing but I decided that that would be a fun place to stop ;) Check out my other fanfics pleeeeeease! THEY WILL ALL BE UPDATED THIS WEEKEND. Although it may take a little bit. I have a TON of homework and I have a California honor choir audition tomorrow at our local college. At 9:30 am. I am so not ready for this. I really don't even want to be in this choir. Whatevs. Wish me luck! And wish me luck on my Christmas Carol auditions next week! I wanna be Scrooge's ex fiancée because she only has one scene hahahaha REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**


	15. Chapter 14

**Wow guys! So I'm in a really good mood today :) My audition went REALLY well yesterday. I screwed up a bit on the sight singing, but really…who's perfect at sight singing? It has to be one of the hardest things in the world. Smh. Anyway, I sang a song called Se Tu M'ami Se Sospiri for the high voice if you wanna go listen to it on YouTube or something. Tonal memory was all right…all my scales were fine…my range was good…But yeah. So SINCE I'm in such a good mood and your guys' reviews were so nice I've decided to post another chapter today. So ENJOY!**

Clary gave a small, strangled cry in the back of her throat and simply stared. She couldn't move. Somewhere in the back of her mind, some small voice was telling her to go to him, to make sure he was still alive. But she was stuck to the ground. Shocked. The last time she'd seen Jace lying in a pool of his own blood was in Idris, when Valentine had killed him.

_He's not dead, Clary,_ she told herself, and had just taken a step forward when she froze again. _It's a trap. He's the bait._ Clary stood rooted to the spot, feeling somewhat helpless. She looked around desperately, for some way out of the situation at hand. She began pacing back and forth, her eyes on Jace's limp form, about thirty feet away from her. She needed a way to retrieve him. She shoved her hands in her pockets and cried out as her stele pierced her skin.

_My stele._

A surge of adrenaline suddenly coursed through her veins and she took the stele out of her pocket, wiping her blood off on her jeans. She dropped to her knees and began furiously drawing a rune on the tiles, a rune like a rope with a circle at the end—

Suddenly she was lifted off her feet. For a terror-filled, disorienting moment, Clary thought she saw Jace leap up at her. But when she blinked, clawing at the hand that had closed around her throat, he was still unconscious on the ground. She screamed as she was thrown against the wall. Her vision exploded with stars and the edges were framed in a fuzzy blackness. She slid down the wall and blinked, trying desperately to remember how to breathe. She brought her hand up to push her hair out of her eyes and drew it back, wet and sticky with blood.

Something kicked her in the side and she rolled to the middle of the hallway, facing Jace on the ground, gasping and holding her stomach. Jace's eyes suddenly fluttered open. Clary heard him gasp. "Clary…oh my god…" He reached a hand out to touch her forehead and Clary jerked away when his touch sent a lance of white-hot pain shooting through her entire body.

Jace made a face and stood up above her, swaying dizzily. Clary felt like she was hyperventilating now, her breath coming in short, quick little puffs of air. A blackened, swollen arm of…of _something_ caught Jace across the chest and he fell back down. He crawled over to Clary and lay on top of her, shielding her body with his just as he had at the manor house.

Footsteps. Jace sucked in a breath suddenly, taking in air in shallow gasps. "If you take one more step, I'll give her my stele," she heard him say weakly, his body vibrating against hers. She couldn't breathe again and began gasping a little. Jace's weight lessened.

A deep, familiar human voice laughed and Clary strained her neck to see over Jace's shoulder, but all she could see was Jace's black tshirt, soaked in some places with his own blood…and mixed with hers. "We do not want to hurt you," the voice said maliciously. "At least, not yet."

The way he spoke reminded Clary of Captain Barbossa in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, when he was threatening Elizabeth Swan. At least Elizabeth had had something to barter for her life with. The man continued. "And I have a legion of demons at disposal. I could kill you both before Clarissa could even touch the stele. So I suggest you cooperate with me."

Clary felt Jace tense…if that was even possible, considering how tense he already was. Clary wondered if muscles could tear from simply being flexed. She doubted it. If it was possible, Jace would be in a whole lot of pain right now…or, more pain than he already was in. Jace's voice rang out, stronger this time. "We can take on a legion of demons. We've done it before." His tone was arrogant, but Clary sensed his distress…plus, her arm was beginning to turn purple because of how tightly Jace was gripping onto her.

The man laughed a deep, cold, bone-chilling laugh. Clary shuddered. Where had she heard his voice before?

"You both still do not know the extent of your powers."

"We know they can accomplish some pretty destructive things…angel blood or not," Jace spat. Clary tried to push Jace off of her and sit up, but he dug his elbow into her hip, effectively keeping her down. She bit back a cry.

The man laughed again. "So naïve, Jonathan. I should think you would have learned your lesson the last time. You should be dead."

A pause. "So should you. Neither of us stayed down, did we? And my name isn't Jonathan. It's Jace."

"A family trait. Your father was the same way. Is the same way."

Jace's grip on Clary's arm loosened a bit, but his elbow stayed firmly implanted on her hip. She gasped a little in pain. Jace didn't budge. "He's still alive?"

"Did I say that?"

Jace's shoulders hunched over. "Not that I care. He left me alone."

"Not alone. If he had not left you, you wouldn't have Clary, now would you?"

Clary couldn't take anymore. She twisted her arm free from Jace's grasp and shoved her fingers into his spine, making him arch his back and cry out. She rolled out from underneath him and sat up, getting a hard look at the tall, well-dressed man before her. She knew that face. It still haunted her nightmares. The white-blond hair. Black pits for eyes. Pale skin. Cold grin. Her jaw dropped of its own accord and she had a sudden urge to vomit, or faint…possibly both. Her voice shook.

"_Valentine_."

**PLOT TWIST. HAHAHAHAHA. How many of you thought it was gonna be Sebastian? I thought about Sebastian but…Valentine would be more fun. Sorry guys. I'm getting all these ideas in my brain now since I brought Valentine back and…well… Let's just say you all (Jace and Clary included) are in for it. Hehehehe. I feel like it's Clary and Jace's job to suffer. Don't worry. All my stories will have a happy ending. They may be bittersweet…but they are happy in general. ALL YOUR OTP'S WILL STAY TOGETHER. Unless, of course, you ship something stupid like Clary and Rocky. Cuz then, Im terribly sorry, but youre out of luck. ADIOS AMIGOS. UNTIL NEXT WEEK MWAHAHAHAHAHA.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Wow. Um, hey. REALLY sorry for not updating, but you know, school comes first. *hides behind Jace and Will Herondale* PLEASE DON'T KILL ME. I KNOW I LEFT YOU WITH A CLIFFY AND IM SORRY.**

**Jace: Shame on you.**

**Me: I SAID SORRY.**

**Jace: You just left me and Clary lying on the floor, vulnerable to Valentine!**

**Me: *blinks* So just kill him.**

**Jace: Oh yeah. We all know how well THAT went last time.**

**Me: Good point.**

**Will: …What on God's green earth are you two blabbering about?**

**Me: *pats Will's head* I love you Will.**

Clary felt Jace's arms wrap around her from behind. He must have gotten up while she was gawking at Valentine. He pulled her up into a standing position, but didn't let go of her. She was grateful for that. She didn't know if she could stand on her own yet, and with her biological father towering over her, staring at them disapprovingly, the last thing she wanted was to appear even weaker. She brought her arms up and wrapped her hands tightly around Jace's wrists.

Valentine looked at them with a mixture of disgust and amusement. "Neither of you appreciated the favor I did you."

Clary felt Jace's arms tense around her. He lifted his chin slightly. "You haven't done either of us any favors," he replied coldly.

Valentine gave them such a condescending grin that a chill ran up Clary's spine. He folded his arms. "It was for your own good that I lied and told you that you were siblings."

This infuriated Clary. "Our own _good?_! Do you have any idea how miserable we both were when we thought we were related? I was wrongfully disgusted with myself and absolutely _terrified_. That wasn't helpful, it was harmful!"

Jace didn't say anything, and Valentine noticed. He turned to Jace. "Jonathan."

Jace's eyes snapped up, blazing. "_Don't you dare call me that._"

Valentine raised his eyebrows. "Very well." He paused, still studying Jace. Clary hoped Jace couldn't feel her heart pounding against her ribcage as if it were trying to fly out and embed itself in his arm. "_Jace_. How miserable have you been since you entered a relationship with this girl? Don't think I haven't been watching you. That girl, Vivien. I know all about her."

Clary gripped Jace's wrists tighter. "Don't listen to him Jace. He's trying to do exactly what she was trying to do."

Jace remained silent. Valentine pressed his advantage. "I know you had intercourse with her. While Clary watched and listened. What do you call it these days? Cheating?"

Clary felt herself pale. Jace's breaths were quickening. "Stop…" he muttered, hanging onto Clary for dear life. Clary wondered what would happen if they both just tumbled onto the ground.

Valentine took a step forward. "If you were a real man, Jace, you would have stood up to Vivien. If you really loved Clary, you would have avoided Vivien at all costs and still managed to find a way to save her. You would have—"

"I SAID _STOP!"_ Jace yelled, releasing Clary and exploding into a blur of action.

Within seconds, he had Valentine pinned to the ground and a seraph blade across his adoptive father's throat, his eyes blazing and his features snarling. Like a vengeful lion.

The briefest flicker of anger flashed across Valentine's face before it settled back into a mask of cold amusement. "Go ahead Jace. We both know you can't kill me."

Jace pressed the sword down further, slicing the top layer of Valentine's skin and making his blood trickle down his neck. "I can now. I will. You're not my father. You're a crazy, evil, mad scientist who made an experiment out of me and my girlfriend, who just so happens to be your daughter. And you know what? For a while, it worked. But Clary and I are both Shadowhunters, and _you _gave us extra power. You gave us the power and the resources to defeat you. We beat you once, and we can beat you again. Before, I couldn't kill you because even through everything that you'd done, you were still my father. You still raised me and I thought you loved me. But I know. I know now that I was just some sort of toy for you to play with. You didn't care about me. You never cared about me." Jace voice cracked.

Clary was rooted to the spot. She watched with a detached fascination and sort of horror as Jace pressed the blade into Valentine's skin ever deeper. "Any last words? Or do you even deserve _that_?"

To Clary's surprise, Valentine started laughing. He laughed and looked at Jace. "_You fool._"

Suddenly, Jace was flung across the hall and slammed against the wall, down which he slid to the floor and slumped over. Clary heard herself scream his name as she stared in horror. She turned back around to Valentine, whose eyes had turned ice blue. She pulled out her little dagger and raised her arm to fling it at him—and felt herself become airborne as she flew backwards, landing on her back next to Jace's semi-conscious form. She groaned and gasped for air.

This seemed to wake Jace up. He pushed himself up onto his arms weakly and dragged himself over to her, searching her face for injuries. Her vision was framed by a dark, roiling mass of dots. "Clary," Jace hissed. "He's possessed. It's still Valentine…sometimes…other times the demon will take over. Right now—"

"It's the demon. Got it," Clary finished, pulling herself upright and studying the now empty hallway. "Where did he go?" she groaned.

At that moment, Isabelle, Alec, Simon and Magnus came racing around the corner. They rushed to Jace and Clary, who had managed to help each other stand up. Isabelle gasped. "Jace! What happened to your head?!"

Jace ran a hand gingerly through his hair and drew it back, bloodied. "Never mind me. I'll be fine." He turned Clary to face him. Clary blinked dizzily as he ran his hands over her face. "We need to get her back to the Institute."

Suddenly, his words faded and the floor dropped out from under Clary as she fell and her vision went black.

**Not as bad of a cliff hanger as last time, right? **

**Will: Clary isn't really your sister, is she Jace?**

**Jace: *makes a face* By the Angel, **_**no**_**. We've already been down that path. It wasn't pretty, despite my presence on it. …Oh and Clary's presence.**

**Clary: You called?**

**Jace: I was just telling William here about how perfect you and I are.**

**Clary: …Oh…well…**

**Will: For what reason are you torturing my descendant, Clarissa?**

**Tessa: For the same reason I torture you, Will. **

**Will: TESSA! *turns red and looks around* Where is your dearest Jem?**

**Tessa: *thinks for a moment* Hunting down Six Fingered Nigel. You've disappointed him, you see.**

**Clary and Jace: Six Fingered Nigel?**


	17. Chapter 17

**Well, my lovelies. I actually have a night with no homework. How lucky for you! Byyyyy the way, some of you asked how Clary is so injured right now. One person was like "did she really get hit that hard…?" Keep in mind that she was thrown against a wall twice. In addition to what Magnus finds out in this chapter. Hehehe. ANNNNND today is my half birthday! Brownie points to whoever can figure out my birthday. GUESS WHAT GUISE. 2.0.4. 204. 204 REVIEWSSSSSSS! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!Ack. Like my heart is in pieces on the ground right now because I feel SO LOVED. **

**Jace: Don't get too excited.**

**Me: Why not?**

**Jace: Sure, you have 204 reviews, but guess what else you have?**

**Me:…what?**

**Jace: Your virginity.**

**Me: *shows Jace ring finger* SEE THIS. IT'S CALLED A PURITY RING. OF COURSE I HAVE MY VIRGINITY.**

**Jace: Well then.**

***A WILD JEM CARSTAIRS APPEARS***

**Tessa and Will: Jem! Where on earth were you?**

**Jem: *coughs* Looking for Six Fingered Nigel.**

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Probably."

"_Probably?!_"

"Well I can't guarantee anything. What if I told you she'd be fine and then an airplane fell from the sky and we all died?"

"Is she _going _to be _fine_?"

"Yes yes yes. She just needs rest. And I mean it this time Jace. Hands off and pants buttoned."

**THE NEXT DAY**

Clary peeled her eyes open and let them adjust to the dim light given off by the candle next to her bed in the Institute's infirmary. This wasn't the first time she'd passed out and woken up in the infirmary. She remembered her first meeting with Jace and the Lightwoods.

"Finally."

Clary turned slowly onto her side and saw Jace's shadowy form leaning back in his chair. "I can barely see you," she croaked.

Jace got up and threw the curtains open. She immediately dove back under the covers, slowly letting her eyes back open. She felt Jace sit on the bed next to her and gently pull the blankets back, taking her hands and pulling her into his arms, holding her tightly. "No sudden movements. That's what Magnus said."

Clary kept her face buried in his shirt. "What's wrong with me?"

She felt his chest shake as he laughed silently. "Nothing really. Magnus just said that apparently your concussion never actually finished healing and you know, being thrown against a wall twice doesn't exactly help. So your concussion is a little worse. I'm supposed to keep my hands off of you and my pants buttoned."

Clary looked up at him. "But I've never even seen your—"

"JACE WAYLAND. MAGNUS SAID HANDS. OFF."

Jace groaned and released Clary, climbing into the bed next to her, which, Clary noticed, had been recently slept in. Clary climbed back under her own blankets and watched as Isabelle strode furiously across the room to smack Jace's cheek. He yelped and put a hand to his cheek in surprise. "What the hell was that for? I was just hugging her!"

"Hands. Off." Isabelle pointed a finger at him and then turned her attention to Clary, who was still watching as Jace flipped his sister off behind her back.

Clary giggled.

"How are you doing?" Isabelle asked, not looking very concerned.

Clary shrugged. "I feel fine."

Isabelle sighed. "I would put an iratze on you and just be finished, but…"

"No," came Jace's voice.

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "But Jace."

Clary smiled a little. "I'll be fine here, Isabelle, really. I'm not like you. I don't need to be constantly up and doing something."

Isabelle smirked. "Maybe not. But that's exactly how Jace is, and you're cooped up in here with him for another week. He'll drive you insane."

With that, she left the room. Clary looked over at Jace, who was watching her. For the first time, she noticed the deep circles under his eyes. "Jace, have you been sleeping?"

He blinked slowly. "Not for the past three days."

She sat bolt upright. "Three days?!"

Jace shrugged. "That's how long you were passed out."

Clary stared incredulously. Jace cocked his head to the side a little. "What?"

"Jace!" she exclaimed. "Three days! You haven't slept in _three days_!"

"So what? I had to make sure you were okay."

Clary blinked in disbelief. "You mean to say that you've spent the past three days just sitting there watching me?"

Jace nodded slowly.

Clary shook her head and ran a hand through her hair before turning back to Jace. "You need to sleep."

"Not until you fall asleep."

Clary sighed and got out of her bed, pushing the light wire frame across the small expanse of floor until her bed and Jace's bed were connected. She climbed back in and let Jace wrap his arm around her tightly. "Now will you go to sleep?" she said softly.

He kissed her forehead. "Now I will go to sleep."

Within the next ten minutes, they had both fallen into a deep sleep, oblivious to the three pairs of eyes watching them from the window.

**So short, mostly fluff, with a little cliffy at the end :) Did you guys like it? Do you think this story will ever get 300 reviews? O_o That would be crAAAAAzy. And awesome! **

**Jace: You still have your virginity, don't you?**

**Me: Yes. Yes I do.**

**Jace: *rolls eyes* How pathetic.**

**Clary: *scowls* I still have my virginity.**

**Jace: *looks at Clary seductively* Not for long you won't.**

**Tessa: *glances at Jem* Jem and I both remain virgins. And we will until our wedding night. *looks uncomfortable***

**Jem: *nods awkwardly* Will, however…**

**Will: I AM STILL A VIRGIN. Why does everyone on this earth assume that I have had intercourse?**

**Jace: It's the Herondale blood.**

**Will: Do you understand what I mean?**

**Jace: Yes. I know exactly what you mean. *wiggles eyebrows***

**Will: Then you've experienced this? You're still a virgin, right?**

**Jace: No.**

**Tessa: Six Fingered Nigel got you, didn't he?**


	18. Chapter 18

**You know what I hate? School. I really hate school. It just sucks up my time. I feel bad because I haven't updated in forever because I'm SO EFFING BUSY. By the way, my Beta profile is up, so if you need an editor…just let me know ;) **

**SO GUESS WHAT GUISE. THAT'S RIGHT. THE CITY OF BONES TEASER TRAILER COMES OUT ON THURSDAY. SO FREAKING EXCITED YOU HAVE NO IDEA. I have complete faith in the cast and crew, and I know they'll do a WONDERFUL job. SO. EXCITED.**

**Aaaaaaaaaanyway. D'you guys think we could get 230 reviews this time around? Maybe? Please? Virtual cookies for anyone who reviews :) And I'll read and review any of THEIR stories they want me to. Just got to review, loves :) Okay. This bribe sess is over. Back to the story.**

* * *

Valentine crouched outside of the infirmary window, balancing perfectly on the stone ledge that rose three hundred feet from the ground. On either side of him was a large, tough-looking boy of about seventeen, and the spirit form of Vivien, who didn't look exactly happy.

"You fail me again, Vivien, I will make sure you never die," Valentine hissed, holding up a silver necklace over the street below.

The necklace was Vivien's talisman, the only thing that was keeping her tied to the earth. If it was destroyed, she was doomed to roam the earth for the rest of eternity. Vivien shivered, her ghost form wavering in the air. "I won't fail you again, sir. Brent gave me unclear instructions on what to do. Those Shadowhunters are more skilled than I thought. But I know now what they can do."

Valentine looked over at the boy. "Justin," he said. "You are aware of the procedure?"

Justin nodded, holding up a knife and giving Valentine a glittering smile.

Valentine nodded approvingly, turning back to Vivien. "Vivien, once you get the blood, you must heat it up using a warlock's magic, and combine it with a werewolf's tooth, a vampire's blood, and a faerie's wing. They will not be easy to get, but you must retrieve all ingredients before the full moon, or the potion will be powerless."

Vivien nodded. "Got it."

* * *

Jace sat bolt upright, squinting into the darkness. He'd heard a door slam, and his hand went to his seraph blade. His arm was still holding Clary's sleeping form close to his chest, protectively. His breath began to slow as he rationalized with himself. No one could get into the Institute unless they were a Shadowhunter. No demons, and very few Downworlders. Still. He felt uncomfortable. He shook his head, attributing the unsettled feeling to paranoia, and lay back down, pulling Clary even closer to him and holding her tightly, as if she could anchor him to reality.

Jace still couldn't fall asleep. Something was about to happen, he could feel it in his bones. He felt anticipatory, the way he did when tracking a demon that was hidden, waiting to jump out at him. His nerves were screaming at him and his eyes darted to and fro, hunting for any sign of danger. He sat up again. "Who's there?"

Nothing but the whisper of the wind from the open window answered him. He carefully slid his arm out from under Clary's body, freezing when she stirred and whimpered a little. His heart skipped a beat. Clary rolled over and her breathing became even again. Jace padded silently around the room, glancing out the window, checking the bathroom. All the doors were closed.

Jace whipped back around and stared at the window. It hadn't been open when he and Clary had fallen asleep. He ran back to his nightstand and lifted the seraph blade off of it, whispering its name and peering out the window. Nothing but the busy New York streets and the whistling wind. Jace's heart was pounding now. Something wasn't right…

A deep, bone-chilling cold suddenly flooded through his body, and he dropped the seraph blade. He fell to the floor, his whole body trembling. He couldn't wake Clary. He didn't know what was happening to him, but he couldn't let her see him like this. He convulsed on the floor, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out. _What the hell…?_

And then he blacked out.

* * *

Clary awoke in surprise, feeling someone's lips pressed firmly on her own. Her eyes flew open and she blinked to see Jace straddling her lap, watching her mischievously.

"Morning sleepyhead."

Clary groaned and struggled to sit up, her head pounding in protest. She glanced at the clock. "Jace," she sighed. "It's three am. Go back to sleep."

Jace pouted. "Come on, Clary. No one's watching us." He leaned down over her and she realized he'd taken his shirt off. She swallowed hard and pushed him away.

"No, Jace. Magnus said hands off." She sighed. "I want to as much as you do, but we can't risk it. I don't want to be cooped up here in this bed forever because you can't control yourself."

Jace looked at her incredulously. "Don't tell me you can resist all this," he said, gesturing to himself.

Something was wrong with him. Clary couldn't quite figure it out. The light seemed to have gone out of his eyes, and he kissed her, he seemed to suck all the warmth from her body. She looked at him, puzzled. "Jace…" she said slowly. "Are you sick?"

Jace blinked slowly. "No," he said, laying down next to her. "I'm just tired of not being close to you, that's all."

He nuzzled his face in her neck, something she knew that he knew she loved. She brought her hand up and stroked his hair gently, looking up at the ceiling. He snaked his arm across her stomach and pulled her into him, kissing up her neck and down her jawline, pressing his lips against hers. Clary closed her eyes and gave in, like she always did when he was tender with her. The world around her faded and the only thing on her mind was Jace. Her and Jace.

That was when she became aware that he was only touching her with one hand, and that the other hand seemed to be behind his back. She pulled away and looked at him confused."Jace, what are you—"

Something metal flashed in the air and the next thing she knew, Jace had plunged a needle into her thigh. She cried out, but didn't move. Jace's arm was holding her down against the pillow and she watched in horror as Jace filled a syringe with her blood. She grit her teeth, confused, surprised and hurt. "Jace, what the—"

Suddenly he jumped off of her and tossed the syringe out the window, peering over the ledge. In a cold voice, he laughed. "Good. She got it."

Clary sat up and stared at him, her jaw agape.

He turned back to look at her, and then dropped to the floor like a rock, beginning to seize up. Clary's heart froze in horror. She _knew_ something was wrong with him.

Jace gasped for air and rolled across the floor, slamming into the metal leg of one of the infirmary beds. He pulled himself up and clawed at his own throat. He stumbled across the room and threw himself against a table full of medical supplies, crying out as a few surgical knives and scalpels cut into him.

Clary leapt off her bed. "_Jace_!" she cried.

Jace seemed calm for a moment and they looked at each other, Jace breathing heavily. Clary heard a loud sucking sound and the light leapt back into Jace's eyes as he groaned like an animal being slaughtered, his back arching and his hands flexing. Then he saw her. He saw Clary. His face turned pale and his lips parted. Then his eyes rolled in the back of his head and he dropped to the floor like a rock, lying on the carpet, unconscious.

Clary gasped and rushed forward, cradling his head in her arms. "Jace," she said softly. No response. She felt his wrist. No pulse. She felt his throat. No pulse. Her heart was pounding furiously and tears blinded her vision. "Dammit, Jace!" she slapped his chest as hard as she could. "Don't you dare leave me! Don't you dare!" She cradled his head against her chest, gasping and sobbing like a child. "Don't…you can't…you can't leave me…"

Jace coughed and gasped, and Clary nearly dropped his head in surprise. She pulled back and looked down into his eyes, which were blinking slowly. The tears flowed freely down her cheeks. "I—I thought… I thought you…"

Jace looked up at her in horror, and he sat bolt upright. "Oh god, Clary. I'm so sorry. I-I don't know what happened, I—" He looked down at her bleeding leg. He jumped up and tore a strip of cloth from one of the sheets, wrapping it around her thigh. "You'll be okay," he said. "I promise you'll be okay."

Clary watched him as he sat back on his hands, his shoulders shaking in an effort to hold himself together. She crawled over to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly, surprising him. He tensed and then wrapped his own arms around her, stroking her hair. "I'm such an awful boyfriend," he muttered. "I always let you get hurt."

She looked up at him. "No you haven't Jace. I make decisions that get me hurt."

"But this time was different, Clary. I hurt you."

Clary sat up and straddled Jace's lap, effectively making his breath speed up. She took his face in her hands gently and kissed him. "No you didn't. I don't exactly know what happened, but you didn't hurt me, okay? Something else did. You weren't yourself, and I knew that, but I ignored it."

Jace seemed to accept this, outwardly at least. He picked her up and laid her back on their makeshift double bed, cradling her in his arms once more.

Neither of them slept the rest of the night.

**Soooooo, what'd you think? I really liked this chapter, Idk bout you guys. It was pretty awesome.**

**Jace: How come I always get possessed?**

**Me: Because you died. That makes you susceptible to demonic possession.**

**Jace: But didn't the silent brothers fix that?**

**Me: Yeah…but we're pretending that part of the story doesn't exist, rememmmmmber?**

**Will: You died?**

**Jace: Yup. *puffs chest up* But nothing can keep me down. I'm invincible. I can resurrect myself from the dead. I'm kind of the second coming of Jesus, you know, except way hotter.**

**Jem: I'll bet Six Fingered Nigel killed you.**


	19. Chapter 19

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

** PLEASE READ. VERY IMPORTANT. **

**Hi guys. *says sheepishly* I am very sorry for not updating. You will be getting regular updates from now on, I promise. I had some incredible writer's block and I needed a break for a while. BUT I AM BACK. And I am sorry. And it's really short. But. Yeah. Sorry. **

* * *

Vivien glared at Justin, who was waving the syringe of blood in front of her face triumphantly. He hissed unintelligently and she grimaced. "All you demons are the same," she sighed. "Can't understand a word you're saying."

Justin clacked his third set of teeth together in annoyance. "I could drop the blood off the Brooklyn Bridge, if you want."

Vivien glanced at him, hauling a pot over some wood and lighting a fire. "If you did, Valentine would kill you instantly, and you know that."

Justin hissed in his native language again and set the syringe carefully on the table next to the pot. "What's next?"

"Don't you worry about that. Your job is to stand guard. I already sent Aeshma to deal with the vampire, faerie, werewolf and warlock."

Justin hissed again. "_Asmodeus._"

Vivien smirked slightly, pouring a bucket of water into the large pot. "You know him, then?"

"The demon of wrath and fury. One of the three Daevas. Of course I know him."

* * *

Clary watched the dust motes dance through the air as Jace wrapped his arms more tightly around her. He hadn't let go of her all night, and now that it really was the morning, he didn't seem inclined to let go at all. "What the hell happened last night, Clary?"

She shrugged and craned her neck to look at him. "I honestly think you were possessed, Jace."

He shook his head. "That's not possible. Shadowhunters can't be possessed, the Silent Brothers and the Iron Sisters perform a ceremony over each newborn to prevent it. Even you're protected and you didn't even know you were a Shadowhunter."

She paused, watching the dust motes again. "I really think we should tell someone about this, Jace."

"About last night?"

"About everything."

Jace tensed underneath her. He waited a long time before answering. "How much?"

"They need to know that you died, Jace," she said, her voice breaking a little. "Maybe they can help you. I'm not saying we should tell them everything that's been going on with—with Vivien, and Valentine, and the demons, but…" Her voice trailed off.

Jace sighed. "Is that what you want? You want me to tell the Silent Brothers? What do you think they can do?"

"I don't know, Jace. I'm still new at this. You're the one who's been slaying demons since you were two, remember?"

She could feel Jace laugh a little, his chest vibrating against her back. "Seven. I killed my first demon when I was seven."

"Seriously, Jace."

The grin on his face was replaced with a slight frown. "Clary…you have to know that if I go…to the Silent Brothers…you have to know that they might decide my being alive is unnatural. They might kill me."

It was Clary's turn to tense. "Are you sure?"

He shrugged. "They may turn me in to the Clave. They may kill me. They may run extensive tests on me. Who knows? They're archivists and researchers, Clary. They're very wise and they adhere to the Law like no other Shadowhunter. It's hard to tell exactly what they'll do. They'll do what they think is right."

* * *

"Asmodeusss…Asmodeussss….Asmodeussssss…"

"Who's there?" the werewolf cub called into the darkness, his pubescent voice shaking. He was a lonely little thing, not more than thirteen years old. He had no pack. He'd only recently been turned—and by his own mother, at that.

He'd been home alone (his father had died the year before, and his sister was in college) when it happened. His mother had been out drinking, and when she burst in the door, he got scared. That was at sunset. When the moon had risen, she'd begun to growl and snarl and scream and Change. The boy had run to his room to hide, but he was too late. She knocked the door down, bit his neck, and ran away. He hadn't seen her since…nor did he want to.

Something sounded like it was slithering through the tall weeds in the field. Hissing. Rustling. The cub back up. He didn't know how to Change at will. At the moment, the only wolfy thing about him was his nails, which had elongated into claes."

"Asmodeussss…"

"Show yourself!"

The last thing the boy remembered was the night sky tilting above him and the stars exploding.

He never knew what hit him.

* * *

**S****o yeah. There's my super short filler chapter. Terribly sorry. LONGER ONE COMING SOON. Review please!**


	20. Chapter 20

***waves sheepishly* Hey guys…**

* * *

Jace clenched Clary's hand tightly as they walked slowly through the Silent City, escorted by Brother Enoch. He glanced at her. She looked just as nervous as he felt, and he wished he could take her into his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay, but he couldn't, because he didn't know. In fact, he rather doubted that anything would ever be okay again.

He'd decided she was right, however. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew, somehow, that the reason for his possession the other night was somehow connected to his-his…_death._ Every time he thought back to that awful night on the shores of Lake Lyn, to that short time when his soul had no longer existed on this earth, that short time when he'd abandoned Clary, he felt sick. The memories refused to form clearly in his mind, almost as if his own brain was trying to deny what had happened, though he knew it had.

He couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for Clary.

Next to him, Clary heaved a sigh. "How long do you think it took them to build this place?"

Jace chuckled. Leave it to his girlfriend to be thinking about architecture when her boyfriend could very possibly be marching to his death…willingly. He shrugged. "I don't know. It will never be finished, you know." He glanced at her. "As long as Shadowhunters continue to die, the Silent City will continue to grow."

Clary gave a little shudder and leaned in closer to him. "Jace," she whispered, her eyes trained on Brother Enoch ahead of them.

He kissed her hair. "Hm?"

"What if they decide to keep you here overnight?"

Jace smirked. "I'll find a way to entertain them. They can watch me play chess."

"No, I mean—"

"You're right. What am I thinking? They probably play charades." He grinned. "I happen to be a master at charades and I—"

He grunted a little as Clary droved her elbow into his ribs. "_Jace._"

He sighed. "I don't know, Clary. You can't stay here with me." He looked at her. "You know that, right?"

She nodded, looking ahead. "What if you don't come back?" she asked, her whisper strained.

Jace stopped walking and turned her to face him, taking her chin between his fingers and tilting her face up to meet his. "First of all," he said, brushing a stray lock of hair from her eyes, "We should be looking on the positive side of all of this."

"…And that would be?"

"We know why I was possessed…probably. We know how to fix it. It isn't something eluding our grasp, out of reach. We know what to do." He kissed the tip of her nose. "Second of all, death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while."

Clary laughed a little. "Yes, my sweet Wesley, whatever you say."

Jace quirked an eyebrow. "Wesley?"

"You mean you didn't get that line from the Princess Bride?"

"Is that a movie?"

Clary shook her head, grinning a little. "Never mind."

* * *

Vivien wrinkled her nose and gagged. "Ugh. This blood smells awful."

Justin laughed hoarsely, sounding like a seventy year old smoker. He picked at his claws. "How you can smell _anything _is beyond me. You're dead."

Vivien shot him a glare. "Not for long."

"You hope."

"Asmodeussssssss has brought the creature hissss missstresssssss hasss asssssked for…"

Vivien and Justin whirled to see Asmodeus, in the form of a giant, poisonous serpent, drop a pathetic, furry-looking creature. Justin's three eyes went wide, and he backed up. "I'm going to hunt," he said quickly, before sprinting off in the other direction.

Vivien picked up a syringe and nodded at the snake. "You've done well, Aeshma."

Asmodeus made a strangled noise in his throat that sounded like a laugh. "Do not tell me what I have done well and what I haven't, dead human. You are not worthy of being called Eve'ssss daughter, neither are you worthy of being called the Evil One'sssss offssssssspring. I am above you in rank, and if you were not a ghossssssst, I could strike you down."

Vivien knelt beside the dead werewolf child, trying not to gag at the sight of his blue, bloated face, his eyes wide and glazed over in death. She plunged the syringe into his neck and filled it with blood before standing up and walking back over to the pot. "That's wonderful, Aeshma," she mumbled, emptying the syringe into the pot. "But until I get my mortality back, you can't do anything to me, and Valentine can do a lot to you. So, please, kindly go and get me a vampire or a faerie. I still need their blood."

The serpent hissed and began to move off into the city, nearly disappearing into the dark alleys. "You will regret the day you defied Asssmodeussssss…"

* * *

Simon leaned against a light pole, his arms folded. There had been rumors of Downworlders disappearing. A warlock was gone, and now a newly turned werewolf child. The child's mother, who had confessed to accidentally turning him into a werewolf, had come to Luke, sobbing and saying she couldn't find her son, her little _pojke_.

Rumor was that the Night Children were next, and as the new leader of the clan, it was Simon's duty to protect them. So, instead of having dinner with Isabelle, as they'd planned, he'd had to call Isabelle and cancel. And now he was standing outside the vampires' new 'cave' making sure that nothing suspicious turned up.

He'd fondly named it the Batcave.

"Asssssmodeussssssss…"

Simon straightened up immediately, he fangs sliding out of their sheathes. "Who's there?"

"Asssssmodeusssssss…"

"Show yourself!"

The last thing Simon saw was the starless night sky before succumbing to an overwhelming blackness.

* * *

_Stand in the circle of the speaking stars._

Jace nervously stood in the center of the room, before the Brotherhood, as they all stared at him with their blind eyes. He cut a glance at Clary, who looked ashen in the odd light. He gave her a weak smile and a nod before turning his attention back to the Brothers.

_Jonathan Christopher Herondale. Why have you come?_

Jace looked at Brother Enoch. "I think I may have been possessed last night. I almost killed Clary."

Jace could feel tension and fear ripple through the Brotherhood. _Shadowhunters cannot be possessed. A ceremony is performed at all Shadowhunter births, to insure this does not happen. _

"Well," Jace said irritably. "It happened to me last night. It never happened before the Mortal War. I don't—"

_Unless you died, Jonathan, possession of you by a demon is not possible._

Jace swallowed. He looked at Clary, who had wrapped herself in her own arms, and nodded at him. "I did die. I died in the Mortal War. Valentine killed me, but—"

_How is it you come to stand before us then, Jonathan? We know of Clarissa Morgenstern's power with runes, but surely not even she could create a rune to resurrect the dead._

"She didn't. I-She…Well, when Valentine succeeded in raising Raziel from Lake Lyn, Clary drew a rune in the sand to direct Raziel towards her. So Raziel killed Valentine, who had killed me, and granted Clary one request…and she requested me, and here I am."

The room was silent for a minute before Brother Enoch spoke again. _Then the ceremony must be performed again._

"You're not going to kill me?"

Something like laughter sounded in Jace's head. _No, Jonathan Herondale. That would be fruitless. You are one of the Clave's best weapons. We should not be so hasty in going against Raziel's power, anyway. Tonight I shall perform the—_

One of the Brothers, whom Jace recognized as Brother Zachariah, stood up quickly. _I will perform the ceremony on Jonathan. I know a warlock who can take place of an Iron Sister._

_Zachariah, I doubt you're—_

Brother Zachariah hadn't moved. _I will perform it. It is my duty. It is my job to protect Jace. _

_But the warlock. You cannot use the shape-changer, Zachariah. There is a reason she has abandoned all connections to the Clave. _

_She will do it._

The room was silent again, leaving Jace feel puzzled. Who were they talking about?

_So be it. Tonight, at seven o'clock, the protection ceremony will be performed over Jace Herondale by Brother Zachariah and Theresa Herondale._

* * *

**One more week of school, my minions! Then I can get back to updating normally!**

**Jace: Took you long enough. **

**Me: *shrugs* Sorry. School's more important.**


End file.
